


The Hero of Hyrule

by KarkatVantabulous



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Again it may not seem like its a sidlink fic but trust me it is, Death, Death Mountain, Depressed Link, Developing Relationship, Flashbacks, Gerudo Town, Goddesses, Goron City, Hyrule Castle, Hyrule Castle Town, I live for platonic zelink, It gets better as more chapters are added, Kakariko Village, Link regains memories, M/M, Mute Link, Nightmare, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Calamity Ganon, Post Ganon, Rito Village, Slow Build, Stress, Zelda and Link are best friends, Zelda dies, Zora Domain, friendships, gerudo desert - Freeform, in dream death, learning about oneself, possibly selective mute link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-10-19 01:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 85,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10629660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarkatVantabulous/pseuds/KarkatVantabulous
Summary: Link did all he had to do. He defeated Calamity Ganon, he activated and completed all the shrines, he appeased the Divine Beasts and freed the spirits of the Champions trapped inside. He was done. However when Princess Zelda perishes after the battle with Ganon she has one clear dying request: Link has to be the next ruler of Hyrule.





	1. The End of the Silent Princess

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little warning: this chapter is written a bit sloppier than I usually write. I've had the draft of this for so long that I had to put it out soon or else i'd never actually publish it. I'll edit it so it'll be easier to read. Thanks for reading and your support!

"Link...do what you must!" Zelda's voice echoed around him as the gigantic eye poking out of Ganon looked around. He gripped the reigns of the Royal Horse tightly as he led it to small hill nearby. The beast reared its ugly head and shot flames out of its mouth, those flames chased the Hylian as he pushed his horse to go faster and faster. Upon reaching the hill he made a sharp U-turn. The horse sprinted as fast as it could and jumped straight off the hill. Link's heart pounded as he jumped off the horses back, caught the wind the flames made, and flew upward. Once he reached the perfect height he let go of his paraglider, pulled the bow of light out and shot a single arrow to the giant beast's eye.

The arrow hit the eye dead on. Link's job was done.

The Knight watched as Zelda gracefully floated out of the malice and destruction that was Ganon and made her way down to solid ground. He ran to her, Master Sword in hand as the blood of the goddess ran through her veins and made the golden light illuminate her skin as she reached a hand up to the gigantic monster. He stood by her side as she fearlessly looked the beast in the eye. As she destroyed and banished him using the power of the goddess. The reddish burgundy color in the sky cleared up almost immediately and all seemed well.

The Princess turned around with a tired smile on her face. "Link...," She took a step forward but her legs gave out beneath her and she fell, thankfully Link was quick and caught her, "Link..." Zelda breathed out. Her smile widened. Link propped her up and put his sword away as he tried to think of what he had on his person that could help the princess. A wild berry crepe? Some monster cake? Fairy tonic? The Princess blinked slowly and stared up at the hero. "Not once did I lose faith in you. I always knew you would come back." Link's mind was still racing. Maybe he could quickly make some sort of elixir? He could use the scales of the dragons and maybe the rare Silent Princess, perhaps throw in a fairy? "The courage in you burns as hot as Death Mountain. You are Hyrule's light. You have saved us, your family has saved us, for countless generations. The royal family is forever in your debt." Zelda breathed out shakily, frowning a bit. "However I'm afraid we may never repay you..." Mipha's grace could heal her. But how could he use the gift given to him on someone else? He couldn't exactly ask Mipha for help... "As strange as it may seem I'm quite happy with this outcome. Calamity Ganon is defeated and all the malice and pain he has brought is gone as well." The princess sighed happily as her gaze shifted from Link to the clear sky.

"It may have taken a long time. It may have taken the lives of many...the lives of those we care for...but now we can rest easy knowing that the darkness that once loomed over our kingdom is gone and will not return for a very long time. Do you think my father would be proud of me, Link? Do you think...our friends, the champions, would be proud? Urbosa? Revali? Daruk? Mipha? What about the Goddesses? Do you think they're proud of me now? Of us? I guess it doesn't matter if I ask you. I'm closer to seeing them." Tears began welling up in the princess's eyes. She was beginning to question whether or not she was really dying, the talking didn't make it seem so but she knew she was as her body became more relaxed by the second. Link, however, was being thrown into a state of panic. He quickly lifted her up and jogged to the royal horse.

"Link," Zelda cupped the hero's cheek with her hand, "You have done so much for me, for Hyrule. You've carried an enormous weight on your shoulders and you've carried it well. But now I'm afraid you have to carry one more..." Link shook his head as he rested the princess on top of the horse and climbed on himself. He leaned her against him and kicked the horse, signalling it to start running at top speed down the path. "I will not be fit to run the kingdom. There is no other kin of the royal family...I'm entrusting you," she had to pause for a moment to catch her breath, "to be the next ruler. You must lead us back to our once prosperous state. You must do this, please." Link shook his head rapidly as he tried to decide where to go. Kakariko village? Zora's Domain? Which one had the better doctors? Which one was closer? Rito Village maybe? A stable? Should he just make a break for the shrine of resurrection? Maybe in this moment of desperation the many different shrines could make an exception this one time and allow Zelda and himself transport to different locations using them? Without thinking about it any further he guided his horse to the path that led to Kakariko Village.

"Please Link, your are Hyrule's final hope. And thank you. For protecting me all this time." From there on until he reached the village, everything seemed to go slower. He continued signaling to his horse to go faster but it didn't seem to go any faster. His heartbeat however, was racing. Perhaps faster than the horse. No, definitely faster. All he could think about was himself really, and how he had just failed the only thing he had to do in life. Here was Link. The Hero of Hyrule, holding the unconscious princess in his arms. He didn't want to think about how he couldn't feel her breath on his arm or how limp she was. At one point he let go of the reigns and shakily pulled out some fairy tonic to try to desperately make the limp princess drink it in hopes of it working.

It didn't.

Racing into the village, Link paid no attention to the villagers or the travelers as they jumped out of the speeding horse's way. He paid no attention to them as he leaped off the horse with the Princess in his arms and ran up the stairs to Impa's home. The only thing he did pay attention to was how Impa had apparently instructed Paya to prepare a bed right under the painting of the battle ground where the guardians rested. The second Link laid Zelda down Paya hesitantly shooed Link out of the house as Impa slowly stood up and walked to where the princess was laying. When he was locked out the house he was mobbed by a crowd of villagers who asked Link to clarify who the girl with blonde hair and a dirty white dress was. He didn't speak however (not like he ever did), he just stood there and stared at the door. Eventually the crowd disbanded and Link still stood there. The Korok that usually hung around the small statues waddled over and brought him an apple at one point and Link accepted it however he couldn't exactly eat it. He squished the poor fruit, leaving him with apple juice all over his hands and an extremely disfigured apple in his fist. Finally, after what felt like an eternity Paya opened the door and allowed the Hylian in.

Zelda was still laying there. Her hair was combed and a flower crown made entirely of silent princesses decorated her head. Impa sat in her usual place and beckoned Link forward.

"I'm sure you know what I'm about to say, Link." He nodded slowly, his hands clenching into tight fists. It was difficult not looking over to the princess and it was difficult to resist the urge to burst into tears but he did resist and stayed as stoic as ever. "Now don't beat yourself up over it. You did everything you could. And judging by the way her mouth was tinted pink you still tried to do more. Her death had nothing to do with you. Spending one hundred years constantly using a godly power depleted her life span, but she hung on long enough to...," the old woman sighed, "to fulfill her true duty." 

Out of the corner of his eye Link could see Paya cover the princess's body with a golden sheet before heading upstairs. 

"Link," Impa stood up and walked over to the knight, "before I go any further just know that I think you will be a fine ruler to Hyrule." Link blinked and looked at the woman in slight confusion. She smiled warmly, yet there was a hint of sadness there, and responded, "a hundred years ago when it was you on your death bed, Zelda sent a message to me saying that if she did happen to perish at any point and you did awaken from your slumber that you were to be the next ruler. I can only assume that she told you this before she took her place among the Goddesses."

Paya walked back downstairs, a bag strapped onto her back. Impa walked over to her granddaughter. They spoke for a moment before Paya hesitantly walked over to Link, hugged him briefly, and quickly ran out the house. Impa returned to her seat.

"I just sent her out to the Dueling Peaks Stable. She'll return shortly, she's only going to hire a couple of the stable workers to ride around the kingdom and deliver messages to the smaller towns...to prepare for the Princess's funeral. Now your task is similar. Only you will visit the Divine Beast's homes and notify them." Link nodded though the look of discomfort on his face was quite obvious. "I understand. You believe I am going a bit too fast and not exactly allowing you to mourn for Zelda before already making preparations for her funeral, correct?" Link nodded a bit. "Again, I understand, but we must...we must start now. I don't enjoy saying this but planning this will be both a distraction and help us deal with the fact that one of the survivors of the Calamity is now gone. It will be good for the kingdom and it will be good for you. It may not seem like it now but believe in me when I say it is." Another nod from the knight and Impa patted his arm. "That may have sounded harsh just plain unemphatic but please, put some faith in me." 

Link stood silently and waited as Impa slowly made her way upstairs and back downstairs. She returned with a small, light bag. She explained that inside of it were just some letters explaining the current situation. Link was to deliver the messages and answer any questions if he could. Of course he wasn't obliged to, Impa clearly explained in her letters that the poor boy just had the princess die in his very arms and he shouldn't be pushed to answer any sort of question if it made him uncomfortable. The old woman smiled and handed Link a small covered pot which contained some nice meaty stew. It wasn't anything fancy but Link smiled and hugged her, grateful for the gift. 

"Go on now," Impa led him slowly to the doors, "I will wait for your return but for now I will say goodbye and I'm sorry." She hugged Link tightly, the gesture making Link tear up just a bit before letting go, smiling warmly, and closing the doors behind him.


	2. An Encounter with the Zora

The Zora Domain wasn't very far Kakariko Village yet it took Link approximately two and a half days to reach it by horse. Maybe it had something to do with the consistent rain (which hopefully wasn't caused by Vah Ruta), maybe it had something to do with the fact that Link didn't really make his horse run and instead allowed it to walk slowly. Either way, his journey was mind numbingly slow but that didn't seem to really bother Link. His mind was empty which was nice for the time being. He knew that very soon he would have to face the entire Zora kingdom and confess that he allowed another princess to die an early death. 

The royal horse neighed and backed up slightly. Link looked up and sighed. He reached the point where he couldn't take his steed with him due to the steep rocks blocked the path. Slowly he dismounted the horse, fed him a couple of carrots and apples, before making his way over the rocks and down the path.

Walking the path was an easier task than before. The many electric based monsters that once inhabited nearly every inch of this trail were mostly gone and whatever few stragglers were left kept to themselves. Occasionally a Lizalfos would feel cocky and hiss at him as Link trudged on by. Other than that they caused him no trouble.

The smell of fish was getting closer with each step. Only now was it hitting him that he had no clue what to do. He didn't know how to tell the Zora King that their last hope of surviving and thriving as a kingdom was dead and that Link was the "new" hope. He didn't know how to deal with the fact that the Zora elders would most likely be enraged and go back to loathing Link the way they loathed him when Mipha died.

_Don't think about that._  Link thought to himself. His hands were already twisting into fists and he was inadvertently holding his breath. _"Just breathe."_ He breathed in slowly and closed his eyes, stopping for a moment. _Calmly think about the situation._ Zelda was dead, she died in battle. Her last words instructed Link to protect and rule her kingdom. Link now had to tell the leaders of where the Divine Beasts resided. _Think of a reasonable way to handle this._  He had to stay calm throughout the whole encounter that was certain. He couldn't break down into tears while he tried to desperately sign out the Princess died. He had to explain exactly what happened. No, first he had to give the King the letter Impa wrote. That was the first thing he had to do. The rest was up to how the King reacted.

The Hyrulean champion began walking once more as he played possible scenarios in his head. Each one however, was stopped short as that little voice of reason continued to remind him to stay calm in this situation. As he finally reached the long bridge leading up to the Zzora domain Link felt his heart drop into his stomach. Even from so far away, he could make out Sidon. He was blurry but it was without a doubt him. His lip quivered and tears clouded his vision. It was hard already and Link hadn't even fully entered the domain. He just couldn't face them. He couldn't face the smiling prince, always so happy to see Link and so encouraging, he couldn't look at him and the King and say he failed in protecting the princess. He just couldn't. But he had to.

_Deep breaths. Calm down. Think rationally._ The black hood he had bought in Kakariko village at the beginning of his journey oh so long ago and used in the desert to protect himself from the rays of the sun was now being pulled up onto his head. Right now it would protect him from the peering eyes of the Zora. If Link knew they couldn't see his face properly he would be less likely to cry. He was the brave warrior and knight after all. He couldn't cry, at least not here and not now. Another deep breath. Happy thoughts. A nice afternoon on the beach, nothing but the waves and horses and all the sweets he could eat. Perhaps some rock climbing. Defeat a couple guardians, hunt a little. Once his nerves were put to rest and Link regained his stoic expression he began swiftly walking across the bridge.

The Zora domain was as busy as ever, especially now. Everyone one and their mother had seen the four divine beasts shoot out powerful rays to Hyrule castle and had more than likely seen the gigantic boar-like animal made out of the pure rage and malice of Calamity Ganon follow tiny Link around Hyrule field as he shot out light arrow after light arrow at the beast. And they had most definitely seen the gigantic orb of golden light engulf the boar before quickly banishing it. And now everyone obviously knew that Calamity Ganon was defeated and a new chapter in Hyrule's history was just beginning.

The inhabitants of the Domain were instructed not to bother the King at the moment. He was busy discussing pressing matters regarding what the next step would be. Obviously now that the biggest threat was defeated and the amount of monsters went down drastically this meant the Zora could expand the way they wanted to over a century ago. Perhaps going to Lurelin Village would be the best to start off? Maybe they could meet up with Gerudo representatives and have some sort of man-made lake created near the town so more Zora women and merchants could make the trip over without dying? Maybe some kind of heat resistant garb specially made for Zora's could be created so they could expand their trade routes with the Goron? These questions were hurdled at poor Prince Sidon as he stood helplessly in the middle of the his people. He tried his best to answer one question but every time he did, another would ask something else and then another and another. He was left in an endless cycle of attempting to answer one question before getting cut off.

"Your Highness!" Sidon looked up momentarily to glance at the guard who had called him. The Zora guard pointed to an approaching figure. Sidon squinted, seeing a blur of blue and black before making out the small Hylian Champion.

"Pardon me," Sidon slowly walked out of the crowd, "but we seem to have a very important guest. Now, don't worry! All your questions will be answered! I suggest you all write them down and we will have an official meeting on the Zora's future!" As Sidon turned, another citizen spoke.

"But how soon in the near future, sir?"

"Very soon, now please excuse me."

"But wait! Wouldn't it be easier to discuss this _now_? We're all here and we have our questions ready! We would just like some answers!" The Zora prince sighed and looked over at the approaching Hylian. He has approximately thirty seconds to get his subjects to disperse before Link made it past the guards and officially into the Zora Domain.

"It would be easier but I'm afraid I do not have all the answers. I'd have to discuss certain things with the elders and I'm sure you'd feel more confident in hearing about our near future from the King. Sadly he is unavailable at the moment so this will have to wait another day. Now, excuse me." This response seemed to satisfy the group of Zora surrounding him. They soon dispersed and gave Sidon one second (more or less) to compose himself before Link stopped in front of him.

The Hylian Champion stood a few feet in front of Sidon. He tilted his head up slightly and stared up at the handsome Zora. Sidon was smiling down at him and a moment later he was kneeling so he could be eye level with Link. Link balled his hands into fists as he resisted to urge to tear up. Not here, not now.

"Link! My dearest friend!" Sidon threw his arms around the other and embraced him. He was a bit damp from an earlier swim but at least he didn't smell too much like fish. "I'm so very proud of you! You've done it! Thanks to you and the princess we are all free from Ganon's clutches! I knew you could do it!" Link couldn't help but smile just a bit at that. "Now, where is Zelda? I would've assumed she'd accompany you to the Domain. Is she perhaps in waiting at the horse stable nearby or a village?" The smile from earlier faded and Link shook his head. "Oh, then where is she?" He debated telling Sidon now but he shook his head again before responding in sign language.

_"I need to talk to the King. It's urgent."_ Sidon blinked in confusion.

"The King?" He stood back up, towering over Link once more. "But why? Not that you can't. Well technically you can't, he is busy, but I'm sure he would love to see you."

_"Good,"_ Link walked past Sidon and up the stairs to the throne room, _"it's urgent."_

"Wait!" Sidon jogged after his friend, still very very confused. "I don't understand, why exactly do you need to see my father? Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?" Link bit his lip and waved his hand, trying to dismiss the question. However Sidon persisted. "Was...was he not defeated? Has he been unleashed onto our world?" Link shook his head rapidly and quickened his pace. "Then _what_? What is important? Please tell me, you're starting to worry me." Link waved his hand again, trying to dismiss the issue once more. "But Link--"

"Ah, the Hylian Champion!" The Zora King's voice boomed throughout the throne room as Link scurried forward and bowed his head in respect. "I'm so very glad you are here, and you seem to be nearly unharmed. What an amazing outcome!" The King smiled down at Link who kept a straight, emotionless face. "I am so very very happy to see you unharmed again. You are truly a huge member of the Zora Domain and my family and it would've impacted us all if something were to cause you harm." Link nodded stiffly.

"Now then," the King reclined in his throne and rested his chin on his palm, "what has brought you to our humble abode? Is it perhaps the Princess? It's been a long time since I've seen her, where is she?" Link reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter with King Dorephan's name on it. His hands shook as he slowly passed the letterover to the Zora King's larger hands. Sidon noticed how vulnerable Link seemed at the moment and found it quite odd. Link was never like this, at least not that he remembered him being like this.

The King squinted as he read, old age had taken its toll on his eyesight. However, even if the words did seem to blend together at times or even if they seemed a bit blurry he read it all. Every last word. Every detailed instruction Impa had given him. Now, King Dorepha respected Impa. She was a very wise woman who had advised the King of Hyrule himself on what course of action to take on certain things. She was one of the few elders that hadn't gone completely mad due to the Calamity and was adored by every race in Hyrule. However at the moment he seemed to be doubting his faith in her.

"Everyone except Link, please exit the room immediately." The Zora guards nodded and almost immediately left the throne room. Sidon was more...stubborn.

"Father, may I ask what this is all about? What is in that note?"

"Sidon, one day you will be King and you will have to face many hardships and difficulties. However right now you needn't worry. So please, step out. Soon enough you will know but now is not the time."

"Father I refuse. Link is a dear friend of mine and he is clearly distraught over whatever is in that letter. Please, just explain--"

"Sidon enough." The King raised his voice just a bit but that was enough to echo throughout the room. Sidon blinked, looking hurt for a moment, before nodding. He slowly exited the room in defeat. Link gulped and looked straight ahead at the King's belly, he didn't want to make eye contact.

"Now then," King Dorephan sighed, "this is...quite the worrisome news now isn't it?" Link nodded. "Are you...well enough to answer questions my boy?" Another nod. "Good. Now then, first off, you are sure the two of you defeated Calamity Ganon before the princess met her demise?" Link bit the inside of his cheek and nodded again. "Good. I'm glad. Do you...do you believe you can handle the task of leading Hyrule?"

_"I believe my task is to protect Hyrule kingdom and all it's people as best as I can_." Link signed. _"It is in my blood and it is something I can't escape."_

"Yes yes well good for that but I was asking if you believe you can handle the task. Not that it is something you believe you have to do due to your background. Being a King isn't easy work, son. Now I am not saying fighting Ganon was simple but having the mental stability to rebuild and run a kingdom is needed. And, not to be rude, after what you have been through I do not believe it is a goal you can reach."

_"With all due respect your highness I believe I am up to the task. I don't feel like my mental health is an issue and I've certainly proven to the nearly everyone here that I have the capability to take charge. The Princess left me this task and as her appointed knight it is my job to honor her last wish until I breathe my final breath."_ The King let out a gentle laugh and nodded understandingly.

"I understand, Link. I won't stop you from finishing the last wish of the last Princess of Hyrule. However I would just like you to know that if things do worsen for you us here at Zora's Domain, more specifically I myself, will always be there for you. We will be your most faithful ally for many years to come. And please remember that even though this job was placed heavily on you, you are not alone. Just how you weren't alone 100 years ago in defeating Ganon and how you weren't alone in defeating Ganon now."


	3. The Champions and their Divine Beasts: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what??? two updates in one day?? I'm on a roll today ;) I just wanted to say thanks for the great comments! It really motivates me to write more! Also, If you'd like an easier way to contact me (or just see all the cool LoZ stuff I reblog) my tumblr is heroofhyrulelink. Please note that this one is just my side blog purely for LoZ (if you'd like my main just ask!) Again, thanks for the comments and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"What do you mean the Princess is dead?" Sidon whisper-yelled to his father as to not let any eavesdropper hear.

"I mean Princess Zelda died heroically just after she and her knight defeated the Calamity." King Dorephan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How?! I just, I can't believe this has happened. After so many years she's dead? How?"

"Yes Sidon. After a century of battle is seems she has perished and has left Link to be the only remaining member of heroes from long ago."

"But _how_?! She couldn't of just...collapsed. Could she? What did Link say?"

"He said nothing. I was not going to push such information out of him." The King turned to his distressed son. A sudden, and small, wave of sadness washed over him as he studied Sidon's face. Clearly he was upset that Link was upset even if he didn't fully understand why Link was upset. Dorephan had only told Sidon so much about Link's situation. "Clearly the boy is heartbroken over this whole thing. He couldn't look at me properly and he seemed to be speaking in a more formal tone than what I'm used to. Even when he woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection and had no memory or knowledge of me other than the fact that I'm a King he spoke more casually. Now he speaks as if he were programmed. It's a shame really. This is taking a toll on him."

"Yes, clearly." Sidon sighed and paced the area in front of his father. "Does Muzu know? I do hope he doesn't turn the Princesses death into such a deal as he did with Mipha's." Sidon groaned at the thought of the Zora elder acting as childish as he did when Link first arrived. Surely Muzu had to know that if he did behave in such a way in this situation it could embarrass the whole Zora's Domain and the royal family, right?

"Muzu is not aware yet and I am certain he won't act that way. The death of our dear Mipha affected him more because of his bond with her. Zelda's death will upset him but he has learned from his previous actions and will act like an adult."

"But how can you be so sure father?" Sidon stopped his pacing and looked up at the King. "Perhaps I should have a word with him. I should warn him of the consequences if he were to even think that way." 

"Sidon," King Dorephan spoke in a gentle tone, "I understand. You and Link had a friendship when you were a child. You looked up to him and you still do."

"Well yes but I don't see what this has to do with anything." Sidon interrupted in a bit of a huffy tone.

"Allow me to finish, son. You care for Link the way you cared for Mipha. Both held and will forever hold a piece of your heart. When they were both deemed dead one hundred years ago those pieces of you were lost as if thrown into the Great Hyrule Forest. And now that one of those pieces has returned you feel the great need to protect him however way you can. That is what you're doing right now, you're trying to protect Link in whatever way you can whether it be offering moral support or harassing your elders." Sidon stood there, mouth slightly agape. He wanted to respond with a snooty _no I'm not_ but he was doing exactly that and he knew it. 

"Now how do you know this?" Sidon asked. His voice quiet though it still hold the attitude from before. 

"Because I am your father. It is not only my sole duty to manage the Zoras but understand my own child's feelings and help him.  And my own mother was a very compassionate woman and a very gentle soul. As the Queen she used that compassion to rule the kingdom. As did your mother." King Dorephan chuckled lightly, the memory of his wife bringing happy memories back. "Your mother was a very kind Queen indeed. Showed me how to see the signs of distress or anything really on ones face." 

"Now then," The Zora King spoke, changing the subject, "I believe that if you so wish to help Link with his own feelings you must do nothing to rash. In fact, perhaps not mentioning this to him at all would be best. Now before you interrupt, let me explain. If you were to remind him of what has happened while he is still trying to process all this it will only make him want to spend more time in isolation thus causing you to worry for his well-being even more." Sidon nodded slowly. "If you were, to say, leave the topic alone for a while it may help him come to terms with certain things and then he will be more than willing talk to you about all the different things going on in his mind."

"Now I'm not saying to never talk about it either," The King explained to his son, "Just don't try to push the topic and if others do push the subject then perhaps if you're around you can do him the favor of swaying the conversation to a different direction. You see my boy, it's all about making him feel comfortable enough to talk. At least that is what my mother and my wife would say." 

"But how will I know he's ready to talk?" King Dorephan smiled and leaned down, patting his son's shoulder with one gigantic hand.

"I'm sure you will know when. Now, if I remember correctly I sent our Hylian friend to Shatterback Point so he can calm his nerves. The view there is quite relaxing. And I'm more than certain he has slain every monster there in a fit of confused emotions so you should be safe if you happen to decide to venture up there alone. Although if you do go alone please be sure to take a weapon of sorts for added protection." Sidon nodded and turned around, jogging out the throne room. "Oh, and son could you please let Muzu know that I would like to host an emergency meeting with the elders immediately. Thank you, my boy."

 -                                                                                          -                                                                                                  -

The wet Zora armor stuck to Link's skin, making him uncomfortable and cold. However it didn't matter much. King Dorephan was right, the view definitely helped ease his nerves...as did defeating the Lynel that has been tormenting this part of Polymus Mountain. The rain from earlier (which thankfully was natural and not caused by Divine Beast Vah Ruta) was actually a great way for Link to get into the fighting spirit. Not that he needed much in the first place.

Vah Ruta had moved from her spot on a rock near the Domain back to the East Reservoir Lake. The sun was setting and it seemed like she was settling under the water. Earlier the Divine Beast had been walking around in circles, a loud trumpet coming from her every so often. No one really knew if this was normal behavior but they didn't think much of it. The Divine Beast was no longer under Ganon's control so there was no need to worry.

Link sighed and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. He recalled the time when he first awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection and when he met the last King of Hyrule who told him of his fate. At the time he had no clue what it his fate was meant to be, even if the King clearly explained, but now he here was. Divine Beasts and guardians taken back and the Kingdom back to its previous state of peace. He had to admit, he was kind of proud of himself. He went from looking at an apple and thinking _"What in Hylia's name is this?"_ to having a mental image of what all of Hyrule looked like and where the areas where the most monsters camped out. It really was quite the accomplishment, in his eyes at least.

A loud and low rumbling resonated throughout the Domain but Link kept his eyes closed. It was probably just Vah Ruta roaring out from underneath the blanket of water. However the rumbling only grew louder and louder until suddenly Vah Ruta broke the surface of the Lake. A loud and clear trumpet resonated from the mechanical elephant now making Link open his eyes. The little sun light that was left illuminated the already slightly glowing beast giving her a bit of an eerie look. It didn't help that Vah Ruta was staring directly at Link. The Hylian Champion raised an eyebrow and stared right back at the Divine Beast. Not a moment passed and she raised her trunk, letting out another trumpet, and turned around. 

Link stood up immediately once he saw the Divine Beast on the move again. Confusion flooded his mind, why was she moving? She couldn't of been under Ganon's control. Link _just_ defeated him. He squatted down just a bit, calling upon Revali's Gale to gather the wind under his feet to create a powerful updraft.

"Link!" Sidon called out from behind him. The Prince made the journey up the mountain for the sake of his friend but it seems his plans were to be pushed to another day. "Link, wait!" Link jumped up into the air and away on the parasail. He floated after the Divine Beast as she sank down under water once more but the air bubbles gave away her path. 

Sidon was breathing heavily, he wasn't accustomed to running up steep hills. But that couldn't distract him now. He quickly gathered his breath and energy before running to the edge of the cliff and jumping off. Sidon being, well, Sidon, he landed perfectly into the water with no injury. As he poked his head out of water he could barely make out the small dot that was Link in the air far ahead of him. He spent all of one second gathering every ounce of energy from himself before he swam at top speed to the dock that connected to a bridge which connected to Zora's Domain.

The residents of Zora's Domain were all already causing a bit of a panic. As Sidon ran up the stairs to the throne room questions were launched at him about what was happening. The prince ignored every single one.

"Father!" Sidon yelled as he slid into the throne room. The meeting with the elders was still going on, or at least it was until Sidon interrupted. "Divine Beast Vah Ruta! She is on the move! Link is currently on her tail!" The elders in the room all looked to King Dorephan for instruction which he had almost instantaneously. 

"Gather as many Zora Guards as possible and have them locate Link. They will follow our Hylian ally and protect him if needed. And-" 

"May I go as well?!" Sidon interrupted once more although it didn't seem to bother the King at all. 

"I was about to say, Sidon you may lead them. It's high time you learn to lead your people in a fight. Now this may not necessarily be one but it is good practice. And if all goes downhill Link will be there to give instructions as well." Sidon smiled, thanking his father in a rush before running out the throne room and commanding that every available guard meet him in the rivers that lead to up to their Domain. Within minutes Sidon was leading the formation of Zora Guards down the river. Vah Ruta was now making her way onto land and Link was still floating close behind her. 


	4. The Champions and Their Divine Beasts: Part II

Link was gradually losing altitude the more he floated in the air but that wouldn't be an issue. Before he got too far he briefly let go of his parasail, whistled for his horse, and pulled the darn thing back out and continued floating along. The Royal horse was running just behind the Zora who were all on land by now. The clouds up ahead covered up the sun so thankfully they didn't have to fear the heat of the sun. Vah Ruta continued walking along, roaring as she went. She didn't seem to have any intention to hurt anything or anyone so Link supposed this wasn't a real threat at the moment. Then again, she was just a giant mechanical beast. Anything could've gone wrong and she could snap at any time.

  
Just as the thought crossed his mind, another roar echoed across Hyrule. This time it didn't come from Vah Ruta. It came from across the field. Link looked over but could hardly see anything, a gigantic sand storm appeared to be making it was through a nearby field. Except this was no ordinary sand storm. Divine Beast Vah Naboris emerged from the sand and let out another shriek as she walked towards them. Link's eyes widened slightly at this. What the _hell_ was going on? Another roar and Divine Beast Vah Rudania jumped down onto the field from a mountaintop. His pace was quicker than the other two and he easily caught up with Vah Ruta. Vah Medoh was the silent one. Out of all four he didn't make his presence known until the very last moment when he was already flying directly on top of everyone. He silently emerged from the cover of clouds as if some sort of ghost. When he was low enough he let out a shriek of his own.  
"Prince Sidon!" A Zora guard yelled over the sound of stomping. "What's happening?!" Sidon couldn't answer. He was too...shocked. All four Divine Beasts were walking together towards what seemed to be Hyrule Castle. Not a single one donned the purplish-pink glow that gave away the fact that Calamity Ganon had control over them and yet it seemed like they were being controlled by someone. A brilliant white horse ran at top speed in front of his Zora crew just as Link let go of his parasail. The Hylian Champion fell a height from what seemed to be level with the upper leg of Vah Ruta onto his steed. He kicked his horse and the two speed off.

  
"Prince Sidon!" Another Zora called out. "Should we abandon this mission? Should we go back and request more help?" Sidon remained silent. He wanted to swim back to Zora's Domain, Hylia knows he did, but he didn't lead his guards back. Instead he continued running after Link. Eventually though, they would get tired. Yes the Zora had stamina to share with all but they still had their limits. Sidon only hoped that the Divine Beasts would stop before that time came.  
"Prince Sidon!" A different Zora called out this time. Honestly Sidon was getting a teensy bit annoyed with this. "An unexpected rolling sort of thing is moving towards us. It's approaching fast!" What? Sidon turned around only to look straight ahead a second later. Giant rolling boulders were rolling towards Vah Rudania. One of them seemed to be glowing a faint red. "Your highness, those may be the Goron! Do we continue after them?" Yes, _of course_ Sidon was going to make them continue after them.

  
"Yes my fellow Zora! Continue after them. We will not stop until our mechanical allies do!" Some of the guards groaned quietly but didn't argue. They, thankfully, didn't have to run for too long. All four Divine Beasts eventually stopped close to Hyrule Castle at what seemed to be an ancient ceremonial pedestal thing. Sidon really had no clue what it was but he faintly remembered Mipha mentioning it once. He believed Link became a full member of the team of champions here.  
The four Divine Beasts stood a respectable distance from the pedestal and just...stood there. Silently. Sidon supposed perhaps they were waiting. In the commotion they caused the Gerudo had fallen behind in chasing after Vah Naboris. The Rito had also fallen behind a bit, Vah Medoh produced such forceful winds that it kept pushing the few adult Rito back to their village. Link on the other hand was at the head of the pack. He was there far before anyone else and stood on the pedestal staring up at the Beasts, waiting for them to make their first move.  
"Link," A young looking Gerudo spoke. Sidon assumed she must've been high up in their hierarchy judging from the amount of jewelry she wore, her headdress, and how she had one gigantic looking guard at her side. "I have to say, I didn't think I'd be seeing you here. I guess I just thought you'd be taking a nice long vacation after saving us. That's the whole reason why I bothered to chase Naboris and bring my," the Gerudo girl looked over at the others and smiled mischievously, "warriors."

  
"Hah!" A Goron, obviously their leader, laughed loudly, "You believe your soldiers are warriors? We Goron eat rocks for meals! The very things are what makes us all practically one giant muscle!" The Gerudo Guard besides the young girl opened her mouth immediately to speak but the girl stopped her.  
"Perhaps we may not eat rocks for breakfast," The girl spoke, "but don't let that underestimate you. We are a very strong race. Maybe one to give you rock-eaters a run for your rupees." The Goron leader laughed heartily and slapped the Goron besides him on the back, commenting how funny he found the girl to be. "Now that we got the awkwardness aside, mind telling us why we're here Link?" All eyes were now on Link, who simply shrugged in response.  
"Lady Riju, could it be possible that maybe our voe friend did not appease Naboris?" The girl, who's name was apparently Riju, waved her hand to dismiss the idea.  
"I'm sure Link did an excellent job at calming Vah Naboris, Buliara. My faith in him is and always will be one hundred percent unwavering and so should yours. If Link says he doesn't know why Naboris and the others began acting so strangely than he genuinely doesn't know. We won't get anywhere in life not trusting those who have proven their worth to us, that's what mother has always said."

  
"A wise woman your mother must've been." It was now Sidon's turn to speak. However, as reluctant as he was to actually talk to the other leaders his voice rang with confidence. "My mother always said that to run a kingdom you must first have kindness, wisdom, and courage of a goddess." Riju studied the Zora, looking at him from head to the top of his fin before smiling.

  
"Your mother sounds like a lovely lady."

  
"Enough mother talk!" The Goron chief practically yelled every word he spoke. "If any sort of grunt work is necessary I'd like to take care of it now before my back pains return! Yunobo, are the painkillers on standby?" A younger looking Goron, and coincidentally the one that was glowing red, nodded. "Great! Now then, little Hylian tell me where I need to fight!" Link was still standing there, simply staring up at the Beasts. Each one was just standing there as well. All eyes were on Link and Sidon felt as if maybe Link needed a small distraction. He walked over to the Hylian and rested one large hand on his shoulder.  
"Perhaps this is nothing?" Sidon spoke softly though the others could still hear. "Perhaps these beasts simply needed...a change of scenery?" Sidon heard the Goron leader laugh loudly at his statement, making the Zora prince just a bit embarrassed.

  
"He could be right," a white-feathered and somewhat intimidating Rito flew down next to them, "after all, The Divine Beasts were found in mountains right? Maybe they're looking for a new place to settle in until the next time they are needed." Link was obviously running the possibility through his head. Maybe they were trying to find a new place to be out of the way until next time. Maybe they weren't. Maybe they wanted everyone to believe that so they could run wild around Hyrule and possibly destroy everything. Maybe the Goddesses had possessed them and placed them here to remind everyone of everything that has happened? The possibilities seemed endless and each one seemed more likely then the last. However Link came to his conclusion. He walked off the pedestal and waved his hand, signaling for the others to leave as well. He believed the Beasts would do no harm so what was the point in standing there and waiting?

 

The other races trusted their Hylian ally and began turning around to leave back to their respective homes when a loud and low roar was emitted from Vah Ruta. She lifted up her head and trunk to reveal the two tusks at her mouth. The said tusks extended just slightly as she turned her head downwards. Vah Rudania opened up his face, just as he did when he took aim at Hyrule Castle, with a shrill screech. Vah Medoh made no noise an simply looked down. Vah Naboris was the most awkward out of the four. She spent a minute kneeling down before the two awkward ear-looking things at her sides moved to face forward. Simultaneously, the Beasts began glowing red and in that second everyone remembered what happened when they took aim at the Castle. Everyone jumped out the way before the red beams shot down to the ground. Link, using the wonderful and extremely useful gift of Daruk's Protection, jumped in front of Prince Sidon. The Zora prince was the most exposed out of everyone and surely he would've of gotten hurt if they Beasts weren't simply shooting a red light at the ground. 

  
No one looked up. Everyone was bracing themselves and hiding behind shields, arms, other people. Link was the first to look up. The red beams were gone and replaced by dust that was surrounding the exterior of the pedestal. But the fog seemed to be covering something. Curious, Link slowly walked over to ring of fog, shield and Master Sword in hand. He squinted in the dust, trying to make out the figure in there. There was an arm, two arms. No wait, they were feathers. Maybe wings? The Hylian Champion waved just enough of the dust away to see a Rito laying there on the ground. Except it wasn't any normal Rito. He almost instantly recognized the blue scarf that donned an image of Vah Medoh and stumbled backwards, letting out a small yell of terror and shock. The others now looked up to see what had surprised Link. Their jaws dropped and eyes widened as the rest of the dust settled to expose to deceased Champions from a century ago.  
It was kind of ironic to Sidon. He had always spent nights praying the goddess statue in the Zora's Domain for a chance to see his sister again but now that he was looking at her perfectly preserved dead body he never wanted to see her again. Not that he loathed her, he just couldn't bear the sight of his dead sister. It's kind of a big, emotionally draining, deal. The others seemed to been just as shocked (and probably emotionally traumatized) as Sidon. No one spoke or moved, they just stared at the bodies. Link was actually the first to move. He quickly crawled over to his friends and with a shaky hand reached out to them, though never touching any of them. He was visibly shaking and perhaps holding back tears. Sidon wanted to go over and comfort him but he couldn't move. The frozen face of his sister seemed to have paralyzed him.

  
And as if Link seeing his dead friends wasn't enough the Goddesses decided to make matters worse. At least this is what Link thought. A small, almost fairy looking, white light floated down from the heavens and in front of the pedestal. Link recognized this one. It's how he was always magically transported out of the Divine Beasts once he defeated one of Calamity Ganon's foot soldiers or how he followed Ganon out of Hyrule Castle and onto the field. Link always assumed it was the Goddesses' way of helping him get from point A to point B when he had no time to spare. However, this time instead of transporting Link from one area of Hyrule to the next Zelda was the one being transported. This one was a bit more of a shock to those who didn't know of Zelda's passing. Audible gasps were heard from the crowd, and some gentle crying coming from _somewhere_ , as they all gazed upon the corpses of those they cared for who fought vigorously to defeat the biggest threat to Hyrule.

  
This time when Link reached over he gently placed his hand on top of Zelda's, whose hands were clasped in one another's on her chest, and tried to fight the urge to cry. This all felt like a cruel punishment to Link. He was being forced to see the bodies of those who had died because he couldn't do his job right.  
The Divine Beasts all let out one loud roar in unison, lifting their heads up to the sky as they did, before something more began to happen. As mentioned before the day was cloudy. No sun poked through the dense blanket of clouds in the sky. Until now that is. The smallest wind managed to push a cloud away and give the tiniest opening possible for the sun's rays to shine through. The light shone upon the five champions and something even more mysterious happened. Revali was the first one to sink into the ground. In his place a rock, which seemed to be serving as a sort of tombstone, shot up which turned to one giant sapphire in less than a second as well as a small bed of flowers. Daruk was next and in his place a tombstone of amber appeared with a bed of flowers as well. Urbosa's body sank into the earth and was replaced by a topaz tombstone. Finally, Mipha. As she sank into the dirt Sidon practically lunged to her, calling her name out but it was too late. She had been replaced by a tombstone of beautifully shining rubies. Zelda was the last one. She sank down slower than the rest. Silent Princesses decorated the area where her body had laid and a gigantic diamond poked out of the ground in her place. With all this done, the Divine Beasts all began slowly returning to their respective homes. The inhabitants of those homes however, did not return. Instead they all stayed there and stared at the shimmering graves. The pain of losing their beloved champions felt fresh, even if most all of them did die one hundred years ago.


	5. Link Faces A Possible Mental Breakdown

_"Duck, duck, duck..._ " Link repeated the word in his mind over and over again. A bow in his grasp and an arrow ready. The stinging cold of the Hebra Region hardly affected him and it certainly didn't affect the local fauna. Link continued thinking that same phrase until he spotted a good sized buck. _"Goose."_ He grinned as he let the arrow fly. A single hit to the head and the buck was down, now he had a meal for the night, now all he had to worry about was the small possibility of freezing to death up in the harsh snow. Ever since the encounter with all four Divine Beasts and the sudden and traumatizing funeral of all his friends Link has spent his time up in the cold cold mountains where there were no people. Only him and snow for miles around.

He loved it up there. He loved how he could bundle up in layers and layers of warm clothing and wear his jewelry, which he acquired from Gerudo Town, to keep him from freezing to death. He loved the way any little cave with a fire in it felt safe and like home. He especially loved climbing the gigantic mountains and finding more and more interesting areas. So far he found two hot springs and a house that looked more run down than destroyed. At the moment he was gathering the food he had hunted to take back to his measly looking camp (which was basically just a torn up cloth held up by a couple of sticks) and have himself a nice meal.

God, Link sure loved a nice hearty meal. His favorite meal was probably his meaty stews. He loves those stews. The monster stews were a close second (the monster extracts added an extra flavor that Link loved) along with the skewers. However his most favorite dish was (which didn't count as a favorite in Link's mind, it went from "Goddess" level favorite to first to second and so on) the wild berry crepes. He _loved_ the wild berry crepes. He loved just how sweet they were and how filling the could be. Those crepes reminded him of slower times whether it was relaxing in a run down and abandoned house in the middle of the forest or sitting at his table in his home at Hateno Village. Those crepes were the world to Link. His mouth watered just at the thought of them and how deliciously sweet they were. If only had had found a camp with a cooking pot...

Link sighed and stared at the ice cold raw meat in his hands. He was spoiled by the thought of gourmet meals and crepes to even think about eating seared steak for dinner. He looked down at the Sheikah Slate on his hip. The warm orange glow inviting him to take a look at what mysteries it held. The Hylian set his meat aside and uncoupling the device from his belt. The eye symbol appeared on the screen for a moment before being replaced with the entire map of Hyrule. Link swiped to reveal his little photo gallery. Aside from the pictures taken a century ago, his personal photo gallery meant a lot to him. On it was pictures of horses...dogs...more horses...Link with his horse...ah, and his beloved wild berry crepe. His stomach rumbled and Link groaned, he really wanted a crepe. The idea of perhaps using the many shrines around Hyrule to transport himself to a place where there was a cooking pot. The Zora's Domain instantly popped into his mind but he dismissed the idea of it. That was the last place he wanted to be. He didn't want to witness Sidon pretend to be his usual optimistic self after seeing his dead sister sink into the ground and sobbing his eyes out in Link's arms moments after that.

_Wild berry crepes..._

Link dismissed the thought of Sidon and completely ignored the tears that wanted to begin to form when he began thinking of the sad memory of Sidon. Instead he just smiled pleasantly at his picture of a beautiful and delicious wild berry crepe. God how missed those. It's been a while since he's had them. He usually made himself one once he managed to complete a shrine. He also gave himself permission to eat two after he reclaimed the Divine Beasts. In fact...he remembers planning on making a whole dining room table full of those little crepes after he defeated Ganon...he wanted to eat them with Zelda. He's sure she would've liked them.

Link swiped away from the picture of the crepe only to come across _another_ picture of the same desert. He stared blankly down at his Sheikah Slate before setting it onto the snowy ground, face down. He grabbed the raw meat again and stared at that too, remembering the delicious kinds of meals he'd make with meats and vegetables. Meaty rice balls, salmon meunière, seafood paella... all those different dishes he cooked for himself on this long journey. A tear rolled down the champion's cheek.

He recalled staying at Zora's Domain one night. He was isolating himself from the Zora which, at the time, was understandable. He had barely woken up and had also just defeated Vah Ruta. No one expected Link to come out of his shell so quickly so they gave him space. He had gone fishing earlier that, wearing his Zora armor he managed to catch one pathetically tiny fish. He had no food other than the little ironshrooms he had found earlier and a couple of radishes so he was basically forced to eat the tiny little fish or else he'd starve. Link had built himself a camp fire in some far corner of the Domain and there he sat with his skewered fish. The fish was eventually cooked and he did eat it but it left him dissatisfied. He eventually decided to just sleep away the hunger. When he awoke early the next day a plate of professionally prepared salmon and a wild berry crepe with some warm milk was waiting for him on the ground, just feet away where his head was resting.

Link didn't know why but food was always his happy place. He loved cooking and watching as the oils in his cooking pot made the food jump up and down. His meals were a big part of his adventure, the helped not just healing wise but they also became a sort of nice little protective blanket for him. As long as he had the access to a nice meal he always felt happy and safe. But now here he was crying, knee deep in snow up in the mountains where the cold froze so many Moblins that it made the few, snow-covered roads look they were purposefully decorated with pretty ice rocks because he was staring at pictures of his favorite desert and instead of feeling happy he felt like utter crap because he was _scared_.

Link wiped the tears away, kind of afraid they'd freeze, and sniffed. He was admittedly scared. _"At least I acknowledged it..."_ Link thought as he laid down on the snowy ground. King Dorephan's comment about him not being alone rang through his head. He wasn't quite sure he believed the older king. He sure felt alone right now. Looking back at the meat and his Sheikah Slate, Link sighed. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of them. In his perspective he had a couple different options. He could stay up in the mountains forever. He could live life in the snow and hunt for food and snowboard and not have to worry about anything ever again. However if he did that then he'd be letting all of Hyrule down...he was still a knight and as a knight it was his job to get the tasks assigned to him done. Even if the tasks terrified him more than any Lynel ever could.

The Hylian sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe he could sleep this all away. Maybe for some strange reason this is all some nightmare. Maybe he had failed again and was taken to the Shrine of Resurrection once more and this was an incredibly vivid dream that he was having. A pang of guilt shot through his body, he felt bad that he was hoping he had failed at stopping Calamity Ganon. Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a true hero of legends like his ancestors were. Maybe this is where the legendary bloodline stops, another more prepared person could take over. They could defeat Ganon in their next life and be forced to continue this long and draining process for years to come whether it be themselves or their descendants. 

Link stood up and began quickly walking down hill. He was frustrated and he was crying and he didn't know what else to do and the only thing to do was what he could do best, which is fight. So he went looking to do just that. However he would come to find that after an hour of trudging around in the snow there were very little monsters around. He eventually was forced to angrily cut down trees while simultaneously crying. As unusual as that was it actually helped him, especially since no one was around to witness it. That would be embarrassing. Once he eased his nerves he found a cave with an old campfire in it. And there he was again, back at square one. Sitting alone in the cold. He was getting nowhere like this and he knew it, however he didn't exactly know what to do. 

Link pulled the Master Sword off of his back and examined it, thinking of how many times this legendary sword got him through some very tough battles. It was a beautiful and deadly weapon. Link absolutely adored it. It often times felt like it was made for him specifically, which it technically was but not in the sense that Link wished it was. It was funny, all his life he heard of the previous Heroes of Hyrule. He would listen to their stories time and time again and how they would never fail in doing what had to be done. He didn't think he'd be the one to ruin everything. But he supposed that's probably how Zelda felt so many years ago when she would stand in the freezing waters and pray for hours on end so she could access her Godly powers.

 Link stopped and blinked. He felt pretty...idiotic to say in the least. He smiled and gave the sword a kiss before putting it away in its sheath. The Sheikah Slate was then slipped off his waist and before he knew it, Link was standing in front of the oldest Goddess statue in the History of Hyrule.


	6. Link's Prayers

The Goddess statue was huge and it kind of intimidated Link. He didn't know why but he imaged that maybe the actual Goddess was trapped inside. Maybe it had something to do with stories of when Hyrule was flooded and the Goddesses took forms of statues or something like that. He probably wasn't remembering the story right though.

Link stared up at the Goddess statue and knelt down, unsheathing his sword once again. As he did when he first pulled the sword from its resting place deep in the Korok Forest, Link rested the sword against his forehead and closed his eyes. He didn't exactly know how to pray or who to pray to but he was sure he would at least do bad enough that one of the Goddesses might pity him and answer his prayer. He took in a deep breath and began thinking up his prayer.

_"Goddess..._ ** _Goddesses_** _Farore, Din, and Nayru, I ask you to answer my plead. I, Link, the appointed Knight of the...late Princess Zelda who had the blood of a goddess in her veins come asking for anything you have to offer. I need guidance, advice, anything. As you three are the Goddesses of Wisdom, Power, and Courage I understand I am molded by you three to have a piece of those three aspects embedded in me. I am not fitted to be a prince. You three have designed my life, past lives, and future lives, to be a servant of Hyrule. However my fate has been put to jeopardy and I have no clue as to what my next move is. This is why I ask for your help."_ Link waited in silence. No response. No magical echo-y voice in his head and no rumbling to indicate the arrival of anything to help him. He sighed.

_"You have done well to end the terror of Calamity Ganon, young hero."_ A loud voice boomed throughout the room. It sounded angelic yet distorted at the same time. It also faintly sounded like three different voices... _"You have come seeking the help of the Goddesses yet you do not need it. The path is as luminous as the moon is at night. You are still a servant to Hyrule."_ Link frowned and opened his eyes, looking up at the statue. He didn't know if he had to physically communicate to the statue but he assumed what he was doing before would work as well.

_"I don't understand. Zelda has worked her whole life to become of use to Hyrule. She has worked to access her powers and once she had them she met her death. Why? Why couldn't she stay and be the heir of the throne?"_

_"Hero of Hyrule, the Triforce is meant to be split up between three. One possess Wisdom, one Power, and one Courage. The Princess, unfortunately, possessed all three pieces and the power was too much for her to handle, even with Goddess blood. This is why Ganon's form is different than the ones described in legends. If he were to possess the piece of Power, his physical body would have been stronger than ever._ _If you were to have possessed the piece of Courage and Zelda of Wisdom, those two alone would not be enough to be able to seal away the darkness. In order to save the land we created, this time one had to possess the full power of the Triforce and risk losing their life. And since the Princess has the goddess blood we saw it fit to give her the entirety of the Triforce."_

_"But..."_ Link ran a hand through his hair, confused _, "If you have such great power then why not just stop Ganon on your own?"_

_"The Three of us together are more powerful than Ganon, that is true, but if we were to use the power then our life sources would be depleted and there would be no guarantee we would succeed in remaining alive in the sense that you know. We would be ridding Hyrule of evil for a temporary amount of time but destroying ourselves in the process. As the creators of this land we also hold full power over the Triforce, it is given to whom ever we please, without us that one major key to your victory would be free to whomever, that is why we have chosen your bloodline to act as our weapon against the evil. You have always possessed the power of Courage, and now that you have defeated Ganon and Zelda has sadly met her end, your piece has returned to you. You also have the power of Wisdom laying dormant inside of you. Ganon has yet to fully take hold of his piece, luckily he won't have it for a very very long time. Hyrule has a prosperous future ahead of it and Ganon will not make his way in it any time soon. For now, at least."_

_"Please,"_ Link stepped forward, extending his hand out to the statue as if it were going to step off its pedestal and walk away, _"I need something. Something to guide me in this...this unfamiliar way of life. I need something."_

_"The ancient dragons that serve us will guide you. Since you are the embodiment of of Courage you will need to make your way to the Spring of Courage. Pray to Farore and she will help you begin your journey. Good luck, hero."_ The voice echoed away and Link was once again standing alone in silence. He looked at the Master Sword in his hand, his reflection stared right back at him. Sighing, he put it away once more. The Sheikah Slate was taken off of its place upon Link's hip and a moment later Link was standing at the edge of Hateno Village.

~

Approximately two days passed since his little chat with the Goddesses of Hyrule and Link hadn't left his bed from his home in Hateno Village. Partially because he was _extremely_ sleep deprived and partly because he no energy go try to figure out whatever riddle the Goddess of Courage would throw at him. However Link was planning on leaving very soon. In fact he could leave now if he wanted to, a simple Sheikah Slate trip and he'd be at the Spring in no time. However Link, as said before, had no energy.

The Hero turned onto his side and pulled the blanket over his head. The sun was beginning to set and the villagers' noise was beginning to calm down. Outside his horse would let out the occasional neigh or whinny. Link's eyes began to slowly close before a loud and disruptive knock at his front door scared him awake. The Hylian grumbled and rolled off his bed, stood up, and walked down stairs to open the door. Once he did open the door he did not, however, find a person there. Instead he found some professionally cooked salmon on the ground accompanied with a wild berry crepe and some warm milk.

~

Link had everything he needed gathered up and he was ready to go. The food he had been anonymously given worked wonders and now he was energized and completely ready to take on anything and anyone. He should've known a good meal would be the thing that pulled him out of his slightly depressing emotional state and got him back on his feet. As his finger's glided over the screen of his Slate, Link wondered who had given him the food. He assumed it was the same person as before, so perhaps it was a Zora? What Zora knew how to cook that? Or maybe it was a Hylian who was visiting the Zora back then and has happened to see Link here as well? He supposed he'd never know.

A click later and Link was at the Spring of Courage, behind the great Goddess' statue. The brightest light was already shining on it and Link admired the light as he walked around and in front of the statue. As he did before, Link knelt down in the water and rested the Master Sword against his forehead.

_"O, Goddess Farore, Goddess of Courage. I come to you seeking guidance."_ Link only felt a little dumb as he thought his prayer. No one talked like that, not anymore at least.

_"Link,"_ The voice echoed throughout the surrounding area, this time sounding clearer than before, _"you have come to me, Farore, for guidance. You possess the Triforce shard of Courage and of Wisdom. Yes, I see you have faced many hardships in your journey."_ The Hylian looked up at the statue. _"Your journey as the leader of Hyrule is one that is odd to you. I can see it in your mind. You believe so many things about yourself that are far from true. For this I will lead you to someone who will help you a great deal. You must first, however reclaim Hyrule Castle for yourself. It is an important aspect of the land my sisters and I have created. Return Hyrule Castle to its formal glory with the aid of your guide. From there one you will find answers to hidden questions and you will be led to the correct path."_ The wind suddenly picked up and there was electricity in the air. Link looked up to See Farosh flying in gracefully. Every electric ball that usually shot out of his body missed Link and he didn't know if it was on purpose or not. _"Farosh, servant and protector of the Spring of Courage, will take you to where you will find the one that will guide you."_ Farosh extended one gigantic clawed hand and snatched Link up into the air. The Hylian let out a yelp and looked at the Goddess Statue once more.

_"Wait!"_ Link leaned down but it useless really, _"Who is my guide? How will I know it's them?!"_

_"Good luck, Hero of the Wild."_ The holy light around the Goddess statue died down just before a ball of electricity shot at Link, forcing him into unconsciousness.


	7. Sidon Accompanies Link

"Dragons," Muzu began as he read from an old book, "are servants to the Goddesses. Their names; Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra, have been molded after the names of the Goddess of Power, Wisdom, and Courage." The elder Zora licked his finger and turned the page. "They are to protect the springs, and in some technical way, the goddesses themselves. It is said that they do not make themselves known to anyone other than those who are worthy. Worthy here meaning hand picked by the Goddesses themselves. However the dragons can be seen by the common villager if the dragon needed or wanted to be seen." 

Sidon listened to Muzu drone on about dragons, not that Sidon was really complaining. He had asked the elder Zora to dig up some book on dragons after their encounter with one. The gigantic dragon circled above the Domain for a while. Once Sidon went up to the main square to see what the commotion was about, the beast flew lower. Everyone was terrified, including Sidon, but once the Zora prince saw what the dragon held in one giant hand he stayed put. The dragon then dropped an unconscious Link a few feet in front of him before flying away and disappearing into the clouds. At that moment Sidon had immediatly arranged for Dento to temporarily close his shop so they could set up a curtain and give Link a small and isolated room while he rested. But Sidon was a bit afraid that Link wouldn't wake up...

"Aha," Muzu pointed at the page and read, "The Dragon Farosh is the protector of the Spring of Courage and servant of the Goddess Farore. He protects using his ability to blast balls of electricity to any foe however he is calm in nature. He would not ever dare to harm an innocent animal or person." Sidon looked down at the still unconscious Link and frowned. Was it possible that the dragon had attacked? Or maybe he electrocuted Link for a specific reason?

"Prince Sidon," Another Zora poked her head in, "I have the elixir you requested. I also made arrangements for the construction of a small living space to be created on the water down below. It should take us no more than one week to create." Sidon tore his eyes away from Link and smiled warmly.

"Thank you, my dear. I want to make sure our special guest feels as comfortable as possible while recovering from...whatever happened to him. Thank you and I will pay for all the needed supplies later this evening." The Zora woman smiled before leaving.

"Sidon," Muzu set the book down and walked over to examine Link, "You seem far too- and pardon me for being blunt- far too invested in this Hylian. Now you know that I do respect him and I no longer loathe him but I don't see why you won't just let him be. He is a King now. He should be able to take care of himself, especially after what he's done to survive." Sidon rolled his eyes, he was kind of expecting this from the old Zora.

"Muzu, as I've explained before, Link is our guest and my dear friend. Any negative talk of time will result in some sort of negative consequence. Please do not make me tell my father of this."

"Now now Sidon, I'm merely saying he is a King. Technically the King of all Kings. He has to be out there making beneficial decisions on Hyrule's behalf. He cannot be running amok in the mountains or getting himself into trouble and you certainly cannot be making special food deliveries to him in villages too far for you to go alone. He needs to take responsibility of himself and of Hyrule."

"And he will." Sidon stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "You must understand he lost a friend and the one he was supposed to protect, it has taken quite a toll on him the way losing Mipha did a number on you." Muzu grumbled and turned around, beginning to slowly walk out the makeshift room.

"Just make sure this whole ordeal doesn't turns into something more. This Domain has lost one of our treasured members of the royal court to a Hylian, we don't need to lose two to the same Hylian."

\-                                                                                         -                                                                                                        -

When Link woke up he still felt the electricity coursing through his body however it was bearable. He sat up slowly, the smell of fish finally hitting him. He was in the Zora's Domain. It took him a minute to gather his strength but when he did he stood up and looked around. It looked like he was in Dento's repair shop but there was a curtain there for some odd reason. Link stepped out into the night.

Everyone was asleep so there was hardly anyone out and about. Sidon was one of the few that was awake. His back was turned to Link and he instead was staring out at the horizon. Link stopped, not moving forward. Farore had said she was leading him to someone that would guide him and Farosh had brought him here. Even a little ChuChu could put two and two together.

  
"Link," Sidon smiled and turned to his friend as he walked up to him, "I have been waiting for you to wake up. I was worried that perhaps the Hearty Elixir I had given you didn't work." Link shrugged and stood by the Zora, staring out at the horizon as well. "The Great Dragon Farosh carried you here. Why? I have no idea. I was planning on asking you but I'd rather not put any kind of strain on you." Link nodded, mentally thanking Sidon. He really didn't want to tell him that apparently the Goddesses saw him as the perfect guide for Link. "I have made arrangements for a living space to be created just under the Domain. Technically above, the _"real"_ Zora Domain is underwater, this one is mostly so we can interact with others."

_"No thank you,"_ Link signed out, _"I'm heading back to Hateno Village before the sun rises. I don't mean to be rude but I have a home there, the Zora Domain isn't for me."_ Sidon glanced at his friend from the corner of his eye. 

"When we were younger you loved it here though. You always claimed you'd one day live here permanently, now I'm not saying you have to live here forever but please stay for a bit. It would benefit you greatly." Link shook his head.

_"Again, no thanks."_

"Pardon my tone Link but I have to urge you to stay. Or at the very least allow me to accompany you on your way to your home. I don't want to come off as over protective or over invested in you but you- I would like to that you are well. " Link kept his eyes straight forward and his expression stoic, in his mind, however, he was groaning and rolling his eyes. Although...if Sidon was the guide Farore had supposedly assigned to him then he really had no choice. The Goddess did this all for a reason and who was he to say no when they were only giving him the help he pleaded for. 

_"Let's go then. Today, before sunup. It's always best to go before the sun rises so you get hours without any skeletal monsters jumping out the ground."_ Sidon gulped slightly but nodded. 

"We can leave in an hour. We can swim down the river and get out of the domain faster that way." Sidon suggested and Link nodded. The tall Zora Prince turned around and hurriedly walked to the nearest mini-waterfall before jumping down into the water below.

  -                                                                                             -                                                                                                  -  

He had to admit, he was excited. Sidon hardly left the domain and now he was out adventuring with the the greatest legend in all of Hyrule's history. It was probably the most exciting thing to ever happen to him. Although Link being silent (more silent than usual that is) did put a damper on things. It didn't help that whenever Sidon did attempt to strike up a conversation with his friend Link merely responded in terse manner and continued along his quiet way. More than once did Sidon want to stamp his foot, cross his arms, and complain that Link was being rude but the prince controlled himself. 

When night fell on the two of them they were lucky enough to have found a fully formed, but extremely run over with moss and other gross things, abandoned house. They were able to settle in there for the night. The fireplace in the house was clogged with debris so they made a fire in the middle of the room with some wood they found inside. Link had prepared Sidon some roasted crab and made himself some seared steak. 

"Link, my dear friend, may I ask you something?" Link nodded and took a bite from his food. "Do you plan on...do you plan on fulfilling your role as King? I don't mean to ask to upset you. I just don't...I can see this is whole ordeal is eating you alive. No normal person decides run away to the coldest corner of Hyrule on a whim." Link took another bite of his food, wiping his mouth before responding.

_"I'll be King, don't worry."_

"No, that- that isn't an acceptable answer!" Sidon huffed. "Link I truly am sorry but you are acting childish. I understand, I do. You lost someone important to you and you're now having great responsibility thrown upon you. I went through this when Mipha died. I wouldn't leave the water for days and when I did I often ended up on the sunnier spots of the grassy hills behind my home and nearly drying out. I was a wreck and on top of that I was now officially next in line for the throne. I was a young Zora and I had felt the pain of losing my sister and my best friend to the same foe. I...I admit it most likely isn't my place to say this but Link, you must gather yourself and fix whatever damage was done. You will never be able to fulfill the promise you made to the Princess if you never even try to start."

There was silence between the two, the only real noise was the crackling of the fire between them. Sidon...had a point. Sidon had a point and Link felt like an absolute pile of garbage. He knew what he had been doing to himself and to the kingdom, he simply chose to ignore it. He tried to ignore it even more now that he had an actual path in front of him, showing him where to go in life. He prayed to the Goddesses for guidance and here he was, trying to act like it wasn't there simply because he was still scared.

_"You're right."_ Link signed, his hand gestures dances as shadows on the walls of the house. _"You're absolutely right. But I can't do this. I'm..."_ Link paused, trying to find the right word. _"I'm a weapon of the Goddesses. I'm not a King. I'm a Knight. I trained my whole life to be a fighter and only a fighter."_ He unsheathed his sword, setting it on the ground between them. _"This sword is forever bound to my soul because I fight. Because I fight for Hyrule and keep it safe. It isn't bound to me because I'm a King, it's because I'm a knight."_ Link lowered his hands and picked up the sword, looking at it solemnly.

"I understand." Sidon rested one giant hand on top of Link's free hand. "I can help you but only if you allow me too. Please Link, just let me be your friend again." Link kept his  gaze on the sword but the tears forming on the corner of his eyes was a dead give away that he had heard every word. The Hylian clenched his hand into a fist, nodding as he did. Sidon smiled and gave Link a gentle and loving squeeze.


	8. Rain

Sidon was able to leisurely sit in the small pond just outside of Link's home in Hateno Village, course most of the top half of his body was exposed thus defeating the whole purpose of actually sitting in the pond but whatever. For once he was a bit annoyed by his height. At least some of his body was able to rest in the refreshing water.

"So," Bolson, a construction worker and friend of Link's sat by the pond and and enjoyed the sun, "You're the Prince of the Zora?"

"Yes I am. You can call me Sidon, I know many people often refer to me as "your highness" or "prince" but I prefer to be called by my name." Bolson chuckled and nodded.

"So Sidon, how are you and Link getting along? Admittedly you two seem like such an odd pair. You seem so calm and collected, plus you're a prince. Link is, well, odd. When I first met him he seemed extremely irrational. The kid nearly bought that piece of junk house for fifty thousand rupees. But I went easy on him and sold it to him for 3,000 rupees and thirty bundles of wood." Bolson plucked a flower from the ground and tucked it behind his ear. "He seems to love it here though. Spends as much of his free time here as he possibly can. But enough about that, I'd like to know why the esteemed Prince of the Zora is accompanying a traveler like Link.

Sidon was staring at the house, just barely looking through the window. He couldn't see in very clearly but he imagined his friend was inside most likely polishing the collection of Champion's weapons he had hung up on the walls or maybe cooking a meal or maybe taking another nap. Sidon sighed and turned back to Bolson.

"I'm planning on convincing him to journey to Hyrule Castle. Perhaps we could fix it up a bit and get- perhaps we could fix it up... That castle was Hyrule's most impressive piece piece after all..." Bolson laughed.

"No offense your highness but you and Link can't do all THAT on your own. But you know who can?" Sidon looked at him curiously, already having some idea as to what the other would say. "I can! If you'd like we can restore Hyrule Castle to its former glory and charge 60% less than what we would charge for a project that big." Sidon's shark tail, the one on the back of his head, began wagging just a bit.

"Yes! What a wonderful idea!!" Sidon was grinning widely. There were practically stars in his eyes. Now all he really had to do was convince Link to go to the castle without making it seem like he was trying to force Link into fully being a King.  That...probably would start a bit of an argument.

"Buuuuut It'd take us a little while to actually get to the castle. We have some part of our construction crew out in Tarrey Town so it'll take a couple of weeks to get over to the castle and begin the reconstruction."

"That's alright!" Sidon sat up straighter and leaned over, taking one of Bolson's hands in his and shaking it. "Thank you so very much! You have no idea what it means to me! The Zora will forever be in debt to you!" Bolson laughed, blushing just a bit from the sudden contact with the handsome Zora.

"Please, if anything this is more for me than the kingdom." Bolson winked. "When I was a young boy I always dreamed of going into Hyrule Castle and doing work for it. Like building a new fountain or garden. And I always longed to see it in it's true glory. But since it's been taken over by that monstrosity all my life I never could and never believed I would. But now I have the marvelous opportunity to, all thanks to you!" Sidon smiled. The two chit-chatted for a while before Link walked out and announced it was now time for Sidon and himself to hit the road. Bolson and the Zora said goodbye (and Sidon slipped him a portion of the payment for the cost of reconstructing the castle) before the Hylian and the Zora walked down the path and out the village. 

Link had honestly no clue where to go, he never really did. Usually he followed the way the winds flew and right now there were none. No problem, they would just follow the path and everything would be a-okay. They walked in a comfortable silence, Sidon admired every single flower and small animal he saw and Link kept an eye out for any suspicious characters. 

Every so often Sidon would glance at his friend. He didn't want to start anything with him but he had to eventually tell Link what he had done. Sidon cleared his throat, which automatically caught Link's attention.

"I'd like for you to know something. Something I did. Now it isn't anything bad but it may be something you may find slightly upsetting." Link raised an eyebrow, motioning for Sidon to continue. "I have hired that friend of yours, Bolson, to rebuild Hyrule Castle. He said it would take a couple of weeks to actually begin the reconstruction but  I have full faith in him." Link nodded, not seeming the slightest bit annoyed.

_"Bolson's Construction Company is great. I'm pretty sure they'll be fully capable to rebuild Hyrule Castle to its formal glory. Maybe they'll make it even better."_ Link smiled at Sidon who was actually a bit shocked at the reaction, more so the smile.

"Y-Yes. I thought so as well." Sidon looked around for a second, trying to think of something else to talk about right now that Link was in a jovial mood. "Where are we travelling to next? Any specific region? Gerudo Town perhaps? Maybe the Rito Village?" Link shrugged.

_"I don't think we're going anywhere particular. You see, my favorite part about travelling when I was going from one destination to the other was just walking. Going on a path and seeing where that led me. I loved that. I loved sitting on a hill and knowing that even though I had a huge responsibility hanging over my head and I had to go to the next Divine Beast or whatever I still had the freedom to explore and experience things and make discoveries. Maybe that's what we'll do, maybe you and I could just explore. You can help me with...being a King and I can show you the world through my eyes."_

"That..." Sidon had a slight blush on his cheeks. Sometimes Link had such an incredible way with words it just made even the simplest things sound pleasant. "That sounds quite lovely. I would love to see everything the way you do."

~

Three days of nothing but pure walking and exploring took up Sidon and Link's time. Neither of them complained though, the beautiful nature was more than enough to keep them distracted from the long walks. At night was when the two sat around the campfire and spoke to one another about themselves. The fourth night was no different. It was raining but they found an old and broken house- or more a wall with about a quarter of a roof still attached. Sidon loved the rain now that Vah Ruta didn't torment him and his people with it. He found it to be calming and a great way for him to be out and about with the feeling that he was submerged underwater. The fire crackled between the two of them as they stared out at the grassy hills in front of them. Link, to much of Sidon's surprise, hunted and killed a bull. the bull saw him and instantly ran him over a good two times but that didn't discourage Link. Now they were feasting on the rich meat from the bull earlier.

Link stared up at the sky, examining the rain clouds. It didn't seem like they would go away any time soon. He glanced at Sidon who was currently playing with a frog that had come out during this weather. The Hylian felt a sense of happiness wash over him. He liked this, he liked Sidon's company. The Zora seemed so interested in everything Link had to say and he seemed to be more than patient with him when he went through his short moods of cold silence. He didn't feel like he deserved someone like Sidon yet Farore believed he did. Sidon accidentally let the little frog jump too far from his reach and was left without a little companion. Link caught Sidon's eye and he took this opportunity to reluctantly thank him.

_"I'd like to say thanks. To you. For this."_ Link paused to gather his words. _"I usually feel bad whenever I see you. I'm always reminded that your sister is dead because of my incompetence and it's the worst feeling. I never really understood why but you still managed to have some shred of faith in me I didn't deserve it and when most of your people didn't want anything to do with me."_ Sidon stopped Link, gently pushing his hands down onto the ground, before he spoke.

"I no longer want to hear- or more _see_ \- you talking so negatively about yourself. My faith in you is probably extremely bias based on the fact that even after all the years I have looked up to you and saw you as a God among Goddesses. However I won't argue that my bias opinion turned out to be completely true in the end." Sidon smiled. "A part of being King, you know, is having confidence in yourself. I understand that right now you don't have the best confidence but believe me, when it is the time for you to step into Hyrule Castle as King and not a warrior, you will know you will be able to do this."

Link was staring down at his lap, trying his hardest to fight the urge to smile. In the end he succumbed and the smile spread across his face. Oh how Sidon loved the smile, it was a thing so rare it made him feel like the richest person in all the kingdom when he saw it. The two spent the rest of the night talking. Link continued asking Sidon questions about their time together when they were younger and Sidon more than happily told him the many stories he shared, not forgetting a single one. 

When the camp fire died down and the moon was nearly at its peak Link stood up and stretched. They had made sure to stop by a small pond when the rain was coming down and now Sidon was going to use that pond as a small bed. Link had the Master Sword in his hand and told Sidon to get some rest, reassuring the prince he would protect him all night long from any sort of danger. As Sidon closed his eyes and began drifting away to a peaceful sleep he wondered if it would be acceptable for a male Zora to create Zora armor for the husband he wanted.


	9. Journey Across Hyrule

Any normal person who supposedly "loved" travelling would be sick and tired of journeying through Hyrule for all of a month and a half. However Sidon and Link obviously weren't normal people. Since Sidon spent a vast majority of his life sheltered and rarely going any farther than the entrance to the path that led up to the Zora's Domain every day was a new discovery. There were so many animals and so many different kinds of flowers and bugs and people it was astounding. He loved having the privilege to roam the dusty old paths and look at guardians up close now that they were tamed and he enjoyed meeting other travelers. 

The two had made it a personal goal to go to every town or village at least once. It was a challenge that Sidon wholeheartedly accepted. Their first stop was the Gerudo. This visit was an interesting one for Sidon, he never knew that only women- or _vai_ \- could only go inside considering not a single Zora would be able to make it in the desert (Sidon was only able to thanks to Link's heat resistant food). The bigger shock out of this whole thing was the fact that if they did want to get into the Gerudo's home they had to dress as women. It was no big deal, really it wasn't. The Zora was enthusiastic to wear the beautiful and comfortable Gerudo clothes, what embarrassed him was the fact that so many of the town's inhabitants commented on how _attractive_ Link's Zora vai friend was and how impressive "her" abs were. Nonetheless the visit was pleasant. The young Gerudo Girl Sidon remembered from months earlier was, as he suspected, the chief. Her name was Riju and this overwhelming responsibility was thrusted upon her at a very young age. However many people seemed to believe she was a very capable leader and would be one remembered for many more generations. 

Riju was able to immediately tell that Sidon was a voe the second him and Link stepped up and bowed down to her. She didn't kick him out though, which was another shocker. Instead they spent quite some time discussing the possibility of setting up several man-made oasis or ponds so more Zora merchants and travelers would be able to survive the trip through the desert. At the end of the day Sidon was gifted with a lovely sapphire circlet, courtesy of the Chief, and the permission to come back any time he pleased (in the appropriate attire) to discuss the pond problem or just have a pleasant conversation.

Kakariko Village was more of a rest stop for a two rather than a visit. It was nice though. Sidon had a vague memory of Impa from when he was a young boy and it made him absolutely ecstatic to see her again, alive and well. Impa seemed to be just as happy to see Sidon, she kept commenting on how tall he was getting, how handsome he was, what a good person he was, etc etc. The kinds of things any grandmother figure would say. Impa did seem more focused on Link though, she continued to pulling him to the side and spoke to him in a hushed tone. During their secret conversations the two would sneak a glance to Sidon every so often. Sidon didn't seem to care though.

From Kakariko village came Goron City and boy was that one a challenge. The Zora Prince was determined to get into the city and nothing was going to stop him. Link didn't want to accidentally kill Sidon with the extreme heat. Of course there were alternatives, fireproof elixirs and fireproof armor, but the question was which one would be more effective. After some very cautious testing they came to the conclusion that the elixirs worked considering the fireproofs clothes didn't fit a Zora Sidon's size. 

Much to every Goron's surprise Sidon made it to the city without catching fire and without even feeling the heat. Everyone was practically staring at the jovial Zora with their eyes wide open and mouths pretty much on the floor. Sidon was more fixated on the abundance of ore deposits and luminous stone on the mountain to care about how many people were staring and wondering if Sidon would burst into flames any second now. He had a great time and that was all that mattered.

The Goron Chief Bludo didn't seem at all dazed that a Zora was in his realm. He was just excited to see a new visitor seem so interested in talking to him. Yunobo on the other hand was worried for Sidon but was his worries were eased once Link pulled out the fireproof elixir to show that their Zora friend wouldn't become a friend fish stick any time soon. The visit with the Goron soon came to an end but Yunobo and Bludo made sure Sidon and Link would return soon, Yunobo even offered to show Sidon the path up to Death Mountain the next time they stopped by.

In their journey across Hyrule they Spring of Courage was one of their many stops. Sidon had no clue what that was and he didn't understand why Link kept referring to it as his spring but Sidon didn't stop his Hylian friend from leading him down the dangerous and monster infested path. The monsters in this area seemed hostile unlike the ones they had encountered and the fact that so many of them seemed to be electric based made Sidon _slightly_ paranoid that he'd be shot with an electric area and that would be the end of him. Link made sure that wouldn't happened. 

Sidon didn't know how but the Hylian Champion made fighting seem so graceful and beautiful. The way Link would do back flips to dodge the spear attacks of the Lizalfos only to propel himself forward a second later and administer a blow so powerful it would knock the monster backwards and give Link the second he needed to jump on top of it so he could deliver the finishing move. He took on three Moblins at once and didn't even break a sweat. Once they reached the end of the path, Link simply snapped his fingers and lightning crashed down, hitting the monsters and _only_ the monsters. It was breathtaking and something exhilarating. In the end Sidon's heart was beating a million miles a minute and he didn't know if it was because of the rush of getting through that many monsters without dying or maybe it was simply seeing Link determined to make sure not a single monster made it within arms reach of Sidon.

The Spring of Courage of was breathtaking. The giant goddess statue was old and had cracks on it but it made the statue look all the better. Their also seemed to be a bit of a bright light shining down on it. There was a small pedestal in front of the stone goddess seemed no bigger than the size of a basket and Sidon wondered if maybe people brought offerings here in exchange for answers to their prayers. Perhaps that was the correct way to pray and the small statue back in Zora's Domain also took offerings.

At one point Sidon tore his eyes away from the beautiful statue and looked at Link. The Hylian seemed to be in a sort of trance. He was simply staring up at the immortalized face of the Goddess, absolutely emotionless. The Prince decided not to interrupt him, perhaps this place meant more to Link than Sidon could understand. Eventually when they did leave, Link was quiet. However this quiet was unlike the other times. He didn't have a scowl on his face nor did he walk a few steps ahead of Sidon so he could avoid talking to him. Instead he strolled back down the path, carefully stepping over the bodies of the defeated monsters, with a small smile down his face. Later on Link explained that the reason there were hostile monsters here was because only the courageous could go and see the Spring of Courage. The monsters there would see be revived and whoever wanted to go up and see the Stone Statue of the Goddess of Courage had to face the long and dangerous path of monsters.

Their final stop was the Rito Village. Sidon was especially excited for this one. When he was younger he once heard someone in the Hyrule Castle library say that Rito and Zoras were distantly related. He hoped that maybe they had some sort of old books on the history of the Rito and how they came to be, maybe with their elder's permission Sidon could take those books to his domain and have Muzu and some other Zora study some possible distant relatives of theirs.

Upon arrival of the Rito Village Link was bombarded with small Rito children. They all just swooped down from the higher parts of their village and tackled Link in a group hug. Now Sidon had always seen Link as jumpy, he had the reflexes of a cat with sword training. The Zora was kind of expecting Link to accidentally elbow a child but he was relieved when Link simply hugged them back. The hug didn't last too long, the girls' mother called them back for lunch so the two of them were free to go up the long and winding path to see the elder. Kaneli, the Rito Elder, unfortunately had no books for Sidon to borrow. He did however offer Sidon some interesting tales of their Rito Champion, Revali, and more interesting stories on how the children of the village continued to visit the elder since Link arrived at the village to reclaim Vah Medoh. The elder seemed like a kind and quiet soul, Kaneli reminded Sidon of his father.

Later on in the day the two found themselves in the Slippery Falcon, debating what they were to have for dinner that night when another Rito introduced himself. Kass had flown into the small store, seeming quite breathless, with a note for Link.

"I'm glad I have finally found you," Kass breathed out as he dug through a bag he kept attached to his accordian, "I have a message for you. From a nice man named Bolson." Link accepted the letter, reading it. "I was flying around the castle and I stopped by the castle town ruins. I saw the men taking a break and offered to play them the songs my late teacher taught me. Anywho, we conversed for a while and I mentioned how you always stopped your travels to hear me play the song meant for the hero of the legends. Bolson paid me a generous amount of rupees to deliver this message to you."

Sidon glanced over to read the contents of the letter. The writing was sloppy but Sidon understood what they meant. Hyrule Castle's reconstruction was done and Link was more than welcome to go and see for himself.

"I have to say," Kass continued, "The castle looks marvelous. Much better than it did when I was but a young boy. It beautifully shows how we're slowly coming away from the devastation of the Calamity." Link nodded, smiling as he did. He put the letter in his pocket and thanked his friend, handing him a the generous amount of one hundred rupees for delivering the message. "Thank you my dear friend, alas I must go. I hope to see you soon!" Kass flew out and away from the village, calling out one last goodbye before disappearing.

~

"Beautiful." Sidon whispered as he stared up at the new and improved Hyrule Castle. "It's...it's _stunning_." The Castle's old and dreary black bricks were painted a new shade of white. The black shingles on the towers were replaced with purple. The castle seem to shimmer in the light. Every single broken wall and busted stairway seemed fixed. The towers weren't caved in and the mountains of debris seemed to have vanished. Link couldn't believe this was the same castle he was in just a couple of months ago. 

"Well?" Link looked over at Sidon. "Are you ready to go inside? I'm sure it is even more breath taking than the outside. Link bit his lip. The realization that rebuilding the castle was simply the first step of him becoming _King Link of Hyrule_. Suddenly the beauty of the castle seemed to be there only to intimidate him. Sidon noticed the obvious hesitance in Link's face and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "This castle is the start of a new chapter for Hyrule and yourself. Don't think of it in a negative light. We are simply going in to inspect it. If you enjoy it we can stay, if not we can always continue our journey." Sidon smiled and a little twinkle of light shined off of his pearly white shark teeth. "Now," Sidon bent down and offered his arm to Link, "Shall we enter, King Link?" The Hylian snorted but accepted Sidon's arm. Together they walked in to the new Hyrule Castle.


	10. Hyrule Castle

Link's footsteps echoed in the dark hallways of the castle. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside, Bolson did a terrific job, but it still felt eerie in there. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there was a suit of armor every ten or so feet apart from one another, maybe it had something to do with the fact that Link remembered roaming those halls with his heart pumping in his chest as he cautiously kept an eye out for the monsters that lurked the castle, maybe it was because he knew deep underneath the castle he had fought Calamity Ganon. Link didn't know. 

Link should've been using a torch. He really should've been using a torch but for some reason he thought that would only make him more paranoid on his midnight stroll. On his adventures he was usually hidden under the cover of night, no monsters could see him that way and for some strange reason he believed that if he was hidden in the dark then maybe the dark thoughts that haunted his mind wouldn't be able to find him. He was wrong.

Moon light flooded through one of the glass doors that lead out to the balcony. Link sighed in relief as he rushed over to the two doors and out into the serenity of the night. The wind was cold but it eased Link's nerves. He smiled, closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply. This castle...everything inside of it was making him more on edge. He had only been living in there for three days and already he's had more night terrors than he's had in the past two months. 

A low, loud grumbling echoed around the castle and Link almost jumped off the balcony. Instinctively he pulled out the Master Sword and got into his fighting position. A splash came from down below in one of the ponds on the castle's courtyards and Link sighed in relief. It was just Sidon. Him being a Zora he slept in the water, he had claimed it was nearly impossible for a Zora to sleep in a normal hylian bed and for him it was an even smaller possibility due to him being pampered all his life with the luxury of kelp beds or giant underwater flowers being there for him to rest on. Link of course knew that that was just an act. Sidon was understandably scared of being inside the castle at night. 

Link didn't put the sword back. the bright light that emerged from it made the castle seem just a bit less terrifying. He turned around to face the dark hallways and, after a moment of mental encouragement, he stepped back inside.

He held the sword up as if it were a torch, in some ways with the light it produced it kind of was. Link kept his gaze on the walls. The many paintings that were once torn apart after years of monsters having control of this magnificent castle were perfectly restored but the eyes of the deceased members of Hyrule's Royal Court followed Link. He felt like they were all judging him. They were probably all disgusted. Disgusted that someone like _Link_ was starting the new generation of Hyrule royalty. Link looked down at the floor momentarily before looking down the hallway. He stopped and turned left, continuing to walk.

He stumbled upon a staircase that led directly up to _another_ staircase then outside. Ah, fresh air. Link's best friend. Walking along the pathway he breathed in deeply. The smell of the water mixed with the trees and relaxed the Hylian champion. He _really_ needed to calm down, he couldn't afford to always be so tense. A King needed to seem as calm and collected as possible at all times, even if he was having one of the worst breakdowns in all of Hyrule history. That's what Sidon said.

_"But I'm no King."_ Link glumly thought to himself. _"I had to go on a giant cucco chase just to remember the simplest things about what I was doing."_ His gloomy expression turned into a scowl, his grip on the glowing sword tightening. _"I don't even remember who **I** am." _Angry tears welled up in Link's eyes as he fiercely pushed a door open and walked back inside. _"How can these damn Goddesses believe that I can be a King of- of everyone when I don't know my own last name?!"_ He was practically tripping over his feet as this point, the tears were clouding his vision. _"Do they not care? Do they just not see how I am legitimately the worst person for this damn job? Are they not watching me like they said they supposedly were?"_ Link was shaking in anger, or perhaps it was just the overwhelming mixture of anger and sadness. _"How can I be considered one of the legendary heroes when I've done practically nothing but wander around and try to remember those who called me friend."_ Link slammed a door open so hard that if anyone else were currently residing in the castle they surely would've awoken in shock and fear that they were under attack. _"I don't know anything about myself or the people that have known me. I don't know Impa or Mipha or Daruk or Revali, Zelda, Urbosa, King Daphnes, King Dorephan, Sidon-"_ Link walked right into a gigantic pillar and stumbled backwards. He glared at the pillar as if it purposely placed itself there so Link could walk right into it. 

The sun was just barely peaking over the mountain range but it was enough to distract Link for just one moment. The tears that were streaming down his cheeks were now being wiped off and Link sniffled. Deep breaths, calm down. A King is always calm and cool and collected. 

After a second of looking around Link discovered that he was at the top of the castle where the Sanctum resided. Link wasn't going in. Not today. However he did kneel down onto one knee and bowed his head. A silent prayer was said in his mind, wishing the deceased Princess, King, and Champions well in their afterlife and hoping they had found their place among the Goddesses. It was nothing special- the prayer- it was simply something so he could pay his respects. Link stood back up. Walking over to the ledge, he sighed. The mornings in Hyrule were beautiful. For some reason or another he always woke up at the very crack of dawn, just when the sun was rising. 

He was leaning against the edge when something caught his eye. It was a faint light. It didn't look like a normal light, more like the holy light that only shines down on the Goddess statues. The light was faintly surrounding one of the destroyed homes in Castle Town, one that was more in the outskirts of this demolished town. Link rubbed his eyes and sniffled once more before he climbed up onto the ledge. Doing this always gave him butterflies in his stomach, one wrong move and he'd fall off this dangerously tall building, but he always did it anyway no matter where he was or how high up he was. He walked along the ledge with his paraglider in his hands before he jumped off and lazily floated over to the house ruins.

The light grew more and more intense as Link drew closer, then it vanished. He looked at the house ruins and was about to turn back around when he saw something on the ground. It was small, rusty sword. Link had seen a million and one rusty swords and usually ignored them but for some reason this one seemed _interesting_. Slowly, he walked over and crouched down. A lump formed in his throat and he felt the need to cry again without knowing why. The rusty sword was now in his hand and was definitely smaller than most the swords he's seen, it seemed like a child's sword. 

Then it hit him.

The memory of himself here- _home_ \- as a child. He had the sword gripped tightly in his small hand and was trying his hardest to correctly lunge at the practice dummy. Two people were in front of him. A woman, she was sitting and clapping lightly. She was encouraging him and telling him he was doing a wonderful job. A man was standing just behind the dummy and was attempting to give Link some instructions. Both their faces looked blurry and both their voices were distorted but Link knew who they were. He managed to do the attack correctly and his father picked him up, tossed him in the air, and praised him. His mother walked over and kissed his forehead, praising Link as well.

Link blinked and suddenly he was back in the ruins of Castle Town, morning was just washing over Hyrule and the deep and all too familiar feeling of emptiness made Link feel as if he'd been punched in the gut by a Lynel. He clutched the rusty sword to his chest and crumpled onto the cold ground, sobbing like a child.

It turns out the Goddesses were watching him.


	11. Zelda's Diary

The smell of professionally cooked salmon, a wild berry crepe, and some nice milk was the only reason why Link woke up. Other than that the stubborn Hylian would've simply yanked the covers over his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He sat up slowly, yawned, then opened his eyes. The platter of food was waiting for him on the bedside table. Next to that was a chair that had some weirdly royal looking clothes laid across it. It wasn't until Link saw the chair that he realized he was inside and it was now noon.

Link blinked and looked around. He was inside the King's- _his_ room. A moment of panic caused Link to jump out of the bed and rip the blankets off. Something clattered on the floor on the other side of the bed and Link dove for it. The small rusty sword was in his hands once again, he was relieved that the sword was still with him. Of course Link knew he couldn't just carry the weapon with him wherever he went, people would think he was crazier than they already thought he was. Luckily though, Bolson had done Link the favor of placing weapon holders in his room. Along the walls replicas of the champions weapons were displayed and, for now, his rusty sword from the past would be displayed alongside them.

A faint knock on the door made Link jump but he collected himself and opened it up. Sidon was standing there. His tall frame could was just an inch shorter than the actual door. The Zora smiled brightly at his friend. He wasn't going to mention the fact that he had found Link crying in his sleep on top of a pile of debris of an old home early that morning. He was simply going to pretend as if he didn't see anything and he didn't carry him in and lay next to him for hours, attempting to soothe the sleep-crying Hylian. "Good morning my friend. Or more, good afternoon!" Sidon allowed himself in as Link sat up. "I've prepared you a meal. I was hoping we would have time to maybe go over some sort of speech or introduction you may give out to the kingdom once you fully acknowledge yourself as the new King. However I don't think that may be a good idea yet." Link grunted and chugged the milk before stuffing the fish in his mouth. He was definitely in some sort of bad mood.

"I laid out some clothes for you," Sidon pointed at the clothes on the chair, "but perhaps today could be a day where the two of us just lounge around and explore the castle?" Another grunt from the Hylian as he pushed the empty plate aside and grabbed the crepe. "While you were asleep I found the part of the library that holds Hyrule's Secrets. Perhaps you and I could read up on it together?" This seemed to spark up Link's attention. His ears perked up slightly, like an adorable little dog!, and he nodded. "Great!" Sidon stood up and nearly yanked Link up to his feet before half-dragging him out to the halls. "Oh, by the way, I have paid off the rest of the debt we owe Bolson and I've hired him to rebuild Castle town! I figured it would make the castle seem a bit more welcoming if there were actual houses surrounding the area." Link only nodded in response but Sidon assumed and hoped that that nod meant Link was a least somewhat excited that Hyrule was slowly rebuilding itself.

The two walked down the halls and stairs. Sidon idly spoke as to not create any awkward silence and Link politely listened. However Link's mind couldn't help wander to his previous encounter. It was kind of a big deal for him. He had learned something about _himself_. Himself and not his mission. Himself and not the princess. Himself. He wanted more. Maybe the Goddesses would drop down a magic map that held every little significant area of Link's past. He wouldn't mind going out and looking for that.

Link bumped into Sidon with an _"oomf!_ " and stumbled back. Sidon had apparently said something as he began unlocking a rather large door and was looking at him out of the corner of his eye waiting for a response. Link nodded eagerly, hoping that that was satisfactory. Luckily it was. The Zora Prince smiled and stepped aside, allowing Link to enter first.

The smell of old books and a bit of mold filled Link's nose. This room was almost twice the size of Zelda's private study however it didn't seem all that impressive. Both of them expected the floor to be decorated with expensive rugs and perhaps a mahogany table with matching chairs. Maybe the walls would be lined with banners that donned the famous bird-like creature that reappeared in the castle's main decorating. Maybe the shelves would be painted white and gold to make everything look more elegant. Nope. They were in a sad little cobblestone room that had no tables, chairs, or windows. The bookshelves looked like they were on the edge of collapsing and there were some very old and rusty chests scattered about.

"This is...quite cozy don't you think?" Sidon half smiled though it seemed a bit forced. Link had a grimace on his face as he examined the sad and dead looking room. He shook his head no.

_"It's gross."_ The Hylian signed, looking up at Sidon with a hint of attitude. Sidon raised a finger and opened his mouth to say something but a moment later he nodded in agreement. It was admittedly disgusting. There was a nest in the far corner of rats and the moldy walls seemed to have attracted some kind of bug. Without another word Link turned around to walk back the way he came.

There was more silence between the two. Sidon noticed that almost every moment they've spent together as of late was one spent in awkward silence. Obviously it was upsetting him but he didn't want to push Link to talk in any way, shape or form. Once the two parted ways- Link locked himself back in his grand room- Sidon explored the castle on his own.

Roaming the long halls was peaceful. The Zora prince remembered a time long ago when he was just a young boy and these halls were always so busy he needed someone to hold him high up on their shoulders so Sidon could get through. Usually that person would be Mipha. Whenever she had a spare moment she would hoist her brother up onto her shoulders and run around through the halls so Sidon could feel tall among the crowd.

He smiled at the memory of his sister. It has been a while since he's thought of her in such as positive light. Usually Sidon thinks of her death and how he could've prevented it, how the champions could, how the Goddesses could... But now he had something else to think about. How his sister would kneel down and allow the small prince to clamber on her shoulders before she stood and sprinted down the halls. Often she'd end up bumping into the other Champions. Mostly Revali, he always walked the halls with a faraway look in his eyes.

Sidon followed the hallways as it led him up a tower and finally outside. As he continued walking he saw a tower that seemed detached from the rest of the castle. No recollection of him exploring that area popped in his mind so he shrugged and made his way to the mysterious tower. 

There was a sign that was placed above the small doors that read "Zelda's Private Study" Sidon smiled and bowed his head, paying his respects before walking in. The room itself felt like a warm blanket wrapping around you during a particularly cold storm. The smell of old books was more comforting than the smell in the secret Hyrule Castel library. A small stone Goddess statue was in the corner along with a couple of candles and some flowers. the books were stacked on each other so the stood tall and proud. Sidon could only imagine how many nights the Princess must've spent here, reading and praying. There was a book placed neatly on the center of the desk. Sidon picked it up. It was Zelda's diary.

There was a bit of a mental argument Sidon was having with himself. On one hand he wanted to read it. He wanted to live what Zelda experienced and get to know more about what the six heroes had to face. Who knows, he may find some interesting things in there about his sister or Link or maybe some secrets that may lie in Hyrule. On the other hand, however, it may be considered disrespectful to read the private thoughts of the late princess. What if he somehow angers her spirit and he gets punished? Ghosts aren't something of myth. Sidon bit his lip and prayed to the Goddesses for forgiveness before he carefully opened the book and began reading its entries.

His hands shook more and more with every word he read. Every word of Zelda's pain and anguish hit Sidon like an electric arrow to the chest. As a young Zora Sidon had always seen Zelda as a happy and confident young woman and a very formidable ruler. She always explained her plans of how she would better Hyrule once this whole Calamity Ganon thing was over with. Not in a thousand (or in this case a hundred) years would he think that she felt such an overwhelming amount of pressure and failure due to that whole ordeal. 

As Sidon continued reading he realized how much of strained relationship Link and Zelda must've had. She mentioned she felt a bit anxious at how she didn't know what the "chosen hero" thought of her and how he must've despised her. Those passages made him frown. He didn't believe Link had a single hateful bone in his beautiful body. The entries got progressively worse, all leading up to the princess yelling at her knight to her being attacked by the Yiga Clan, then her entries seemed to have changed. Her whole perspective on her appointed knight changed.

The Prince devoured every word, every sentence until he reached the last entry. It was on the day the Calamity had risen. The day of the Princess's birthday. Sidon sighed and set the book down back to its rightful place. Before leaving the study he knelt down and mumbled a silent prayer, wishing Zelda happiness in her afterlife. 

The sun in the sky was now replaced by the moon. It's light made the castle look even more beautiful than it did in the day. But...there was another light, at the top of the castle where the Sanctum was. Sidon squinted, unable to see the figure or the source of the light properly. He quickly headed back inside and grabbed the telescope Sidon assumed Zelda used to look up at the stars. As he peered through the telescope he saw that the light was coming from a jar packed with fairies. Link was holding the jar, just staring at it. Then, the Hylian opened the jar. The pink fairies began flying away. Link then gingerly picked up a handful of Silent Princesses he had on the short wall and allowed the flowers to be carried away by the wind. Link spoke silently, actual speaking. His lips moved as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. Sidon was surprised before he remembered something he had read not too long ago. Zelda had mentioned Link could talk except...he chose not too. The pressure and "all eyes on him" made him feel like he had to stay silent and take the pain and turmoil on all by himself.

It was funny, Sidon always believed the myth that the bloodline of the Heero was cursed. Every new Hero would restricted from speaking at all. He faintly remembered someone telling him that the Goddesses did this so the Hero could never say out loud that he refused to be the Hero and refuse to stop the reoccurring evil. 

Link stood on the wall just outside the Sanctum, watching the light and flowers go farther and farther away. Sidon stood far below, watching Link with a sad smile. 

"Forgive me, Link," Sidon whispered to himself as he began walking back inside the castle so he could head down to the bodies of water below, "but I must be more assertive in my efforts with you. You deserve all the happiness in the world after all." As Sidon walked the image of Link's warm smile appeared and Sidon couldn't help but smile as well. 


	12. Preparations for the Ceremony

News had finally spread of who exactly the leader of Hyrule was and everyone was honestly shocked. Sure, the remaining three leaders of the biggest communities in Hyrule kind of expected this but at the same time it was still a big shock. Link, the little Hylian who was often seen doing incredibly dangerous and reckless things in the name of Hylia. Link, the guy who ran around taking pictures of horses and random fruits. Link, the Champion who once tried to get inside a guardian. Link, the hero handpicked by the Goddesses who everyone saw as a goofy little traveler, was the new king of Hyrule.

Link couldn't hide from this any longer, a ceremony would be under way to commemorate the new King and rebirth of the kingdom. Sidon had been secretly sending letters to different people and pretty soon Link was waiting to be carted off to Kakariko Village. Tomorrow there would be a grand ceremony in the renewed Castle Town Square where Link would "fully address" himself as King. It was going to be a grand event and nearly if not all of Hyrule would be there. In Castle Town. Watching Link as he would accept the crown that Last King of Hyrule wore once upon a time. Link wasn't prepared for this at all.

The Hylian sighed. He was sitting on the fountain just in front of the gates of the castle. He was waiting for the carriage to come to escort him even though _everyone_ knew damn well Link could ride his horse on over to the village. In fact, he would've preferred that over the huge fuss they were making.

"Everything is set." Sidon sat besides Link with a smile on his face. "The day is nearly here my friend. You will at long last rule us all and we will be on the path back to greatness. Aren't you excited?" Link nodded. He was excited, he wanted Hyrule to prosper but he still didn't get why it had to be him to rule it. "Once you arrive at Kakariko Village Impa will give a sort of training for tomorrow and the local tailors will create something fit for a king. And I will be back home preparing as well. My father and I are debating whether or not he should go, his old age does make it difficult, as does his size..." Link stopped and looked up at the Zora. He poked his arm, getting Sidon's attention, before he began signing.

 _"You're not coming with me to Kakariko Village?"_ Sidon shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I have to prepare myself as the Prince and to be quite honest I miss my home. And, not to be too personal, I'd like to...pray to my sister for your sake." Sidon's smiled faltered just a bit. "I know you're anxious about the events to come and I know a part of Mipha's spirit resides in you so I'd like to make sure you're fine tomorrow." Sidon looked down at Link, who had his usual stoic expression plastered on his face to hide his true emotions. Link nodded and looked forward once more. "However, I will stay once the ceremony is over. You and I will only be apart for a day. I'm quite sure you can handle it."

 _"I don't think I can."_ Link was a blunt person. After a hundred years and losing nearly everyone he's cared for he learned he might as well be as truthful about everything as possible. Sidon tilted his head and asked Link to elaborate. _"You and I have been together for..."_ Link thought for a second and counted on his fingers _, "nearly five months. That is a long time. I've spent even more time by myself. I've spent sleepless nights filled with seemingly endless battles and a struggle to eat properly. I've had to go through so many things on my own and..."_ Link sighed and stood up rather quickly. He was biting his cheek and trying his hardest to keep himself together and the only way to do that was to get up and get all that energy out of himself somehow. _"I suppose I'm used to you around me. I like you with me. I like...you."_ Link was pacing back and forth now, keeping his head down, unsure of how to really explain his feelings. _"You are...you are a good person. And a lot of times I feel bad for not remembering you too well because I do like you. You're-"_ Link snapped and turned to Sidon. _"I'm Hyrule's ray of light in dark times, but you're mine."_

Sidon's face felt red and in that moment he was wondering if Zoras could even blush. His heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't quite know how to take Link's wonderfully sweet comment. Was this perhaps an awkward, romantic gesture? Or was it just Link's still awkward nature trying to describe how much Sidon's friendship meant to him. Sidon had no way to tell and, sadly, he couldn't ask. In the distance came speeding in the carriage driven by the residents of Kakariko Village. They were dressed in their traditional Sheikah outfits, its what they wore when on very important business. Sidon sat there, mouth open as he silently watched Link climb into the carriage and wave goodbye before departing down the road, back to the village.

Sidon's escorts arrived later that day. The Prince was silent the whole way back to his Domain, his mind was locked on Link and that day's conversation. At this point it wasn't so much what way Link meant what he said, it was more Sidon replaying the words in his head so a small smile would wiggle past his blank expression. It wasn't until he arrived back home did Sidon begin thinking seriously about exactly what Link meant. As he walked up the stairs to where his father was he didn't so much as glance at the statue of his sister out of guilt.

~

"Welcome, your highness." Impa chuckled and stepped away from the carriage door to give Link some room. The Hylian smiled awkwardly and clambered out.  He had arrived just after the sun had set and it seemed like the whole village had been waiting for him. All eyes were on him, their new king, and suddenly Link felt sick to his stomach. "Come now child. We have a lot to do before the sun comes up and brings the new day." The crowd parted for Link and Impa, he didn't know what to do so he waved at everyone. They only stared back at him.

As the door shut behind Link he couldn't help but sigh in relief. He despised the feeling of having people looking at him and expecting something from him. That feeling made him want to detach himself from the rest of the world. Impa sat at her usual spot and motioned for Link to sit in front of her, he did. With his legs crossed he was twiddling his thumbs and looking at everything. He didn't know why he was so nervous all of the sudden.

"Now then, do you know what you're going to say tomorrow?" He shook his head. "Well, now that may be something you need to figure out. Perhaps you can mention something about your adventures and your struggles." She sipped the tea Paya had set besides her before continuing. "You needn't make your speech seem so formal you know. It's been so long since any of us has heard an official speech so I'm sure you can get away with talking about yourself." Link nodded. "I realize you don't particularly enjoy speaking. You don't do it because of all the responsibility placed on you and you won't want to do it even more now that you have a kingdom's worth of responsibility set squarely on your shoulders but...perhaps it is a good idea to speak tomorrow."

 _"I'll think about it."_ Link signed. It was clear on his face that he _wasn't_ going to think about it and he wouldn't speak at all. 

The rest of the night was filled with Impa helping Link on what was and wasn't appropriate to say. For instance, mentioning how he had met the spirit of the last King of Hyrule after waking up from his hundred year nap along with the spirits of the rest of the champions and mentioning his fight against Calamity Ganon and witnessing the power of the Goddess through Zelda first hand was appropriate. Mentioning how he once stripped almost completely naked and sheild surfed through the Hebra region to fight the Lynels to see if he would survive wasn't something the kingdom would want to hear. Neither was the fact that for a solid three days Link gave up, put on his Lizalfos mask and tried to live life as one of them. 

Deep into the night they finally put a pause to their preparations. Link yawned and was about to head outside when Paya quietly said he'd be sleeping in the room upstairs. Link was about to argue but Impa gave him a stern look and he instead thanked them and went upstairs. At this point in the night Sidon would tell Link to get a nice long rest and that he wished only good dreams on his friend. Oh how Link missed his Zora companion. He sighed. Sidon had mentioned missing his home. Maybe it was time for Link to go back to living his life alone.

He shook his head and stripped off his clothes. He wasn't going to think about that now. He'd talk to Sidon about it. No- he'd pray to the Goddesses about it. They could tell him what to do. He flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he leaned over and blew out the single candle that was giving him light. Tomorrow would be a big day. 


	13. The New King of Hyrule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very long chapter! And for all of you who would like just a bit of background music here's some song's i listened to while writing this  
> \- [ Kass's Melody (Full) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiU65nQdZE8)  
> \- [ Majora's Wrath ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v54cX5rC8Pg&t=109s)  
> \- [ Lorule Castle Theme ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g75HDyL2BGc)  
> \- [ Midna's Lament ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBRdekWKxI)  
> \- [ Wind Waker Theme ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o78T9-I4OGA)
> 
> ALSO! Thank you everyone for the amazing comments!!! I know I don't reply to many but I do read them all!!  
> AND FINALLY! The timeline for this fic is gonna be a tad odd. I'm going with the assumption that it goes in the child era but I'm adding a little twist which will be revealed in a later chapter. Enjoy everyone!

Often times when Link slept he had the misfortune of sleeping on the nights the Blood Moon happened to appear. However that night he felt as if maybe things wouldn't be so bad. A Blood Moon most likely wouldn't show since Calamity Ganon was gone so he had no real reason to not sleep. He didn't realize how wrong he was.

It started out so innocently. So nice and calming. It was like Link was remembering another forgotten memory. He and Zelda were out in the Castle's Courtyard where training was being held for the new knights. Link wasn't helping those newcomers train, instead he managed to snag a dummy and was using it for his own training. As he jumped backwards before lunging forward and did a series of spin attacks Zelda watched. She had placed her book down and sat contently behind her knight. After a while of doing more and more practice attacks Link noticed something...unsettling. Everything was deathly quiet. The clashing of swords and grunts of the young knights could no longer be heard. Link paused and turned to Zelda. She was gone. Panic shot through Link's body as he instantly ran to the nearest door. Please  _please_ let Zelda be inside.

The room was dark. Pitch black. Link looked around in confusion before turning around to exit. The door was gone.

"Link." It wasn't Zelda's voice but Link turned around and prayed it was her. Standing there was...someone. Her hair was a deep brown and she wore a long dress. Clearly she was a member of the royal family. She wore the infamous bird that represented Hyrule through the ages as well as the Triforce. However Link didn't recognize her.

"Link." Two voices this time. He turned around again and saw a small girl standing there in a long white dress. An older girl stood next to her looking nearly identical to the child. Both of them were royals as well. They wore the same bird and the Triforce.

"Link." He flinched and turned once more. Another girl stood there. She was different. Instead of the royal dress she wore a long flowing white one. However the Triforce embedded on her hand gave Link the impression that she was still in a position of importance.

 **"Link."** They all spoke at the same time, their blank expressions gave the Hylian Champion an eerie feeling. **"You have failed us. You have failed them."** Link blinked and in that one second where his eyes were closed appeared more people. Only this time they weren't the princess-like girls. No. These Hylians were none other than Link's ancestors. The previous Heroes of Hyrule. However Link didn't know this, and wouldn't realize they were until he later came to realize it. For now he would believe it was his mind creating different versions of himself to mock him.

 Standing along side the girl in the flowing white gown stood a man, or perhaps a very mature looking teen. He wore a Tunic of green and had on an expression that could kill. He stood protectively by the girls side, Master Sword in hand. Link's eyes widened as he stared into the determined looking eyes of the Hylian in front of him. He lowered his own sword and turned around only to be greeted by three more Hylians. Two of them were young boys. One had a peculiar looking instrument in hand and the other had a mask on. The mask itself just looked cursed, it didn't help that it's giant orangey-yellow eyes stared deep into Link's soul and the boy kept twitching. Besides them was another Hylian, looking a few years older than the boys in front of him. His face looked sad but fierce nonetheless. Link almost didn't want to look but his head turned to the direction of the final girl. Standing besides her was, as expected, another Hylian. He wore the same green Tunic as the first he saw. Only this time his eyes looked cold and unforgiving, like an animal. Maybe Link only believed this because there was an unusually large wolf standing defensively on the opposite side with the same viscous eyes.

He was shaking. He couldn't hold his sword correctly and he knew at this rate he'd drop the legendary sword. The wolf growled and barked loudly at Link. The noise startled him and he stumbled backwards. Who were these guys. Why did they all look so _similar_. Why did they all look like _him_.

 **"You've failed us."** They all spoke. The voices blended and created an unsettling sound. **"Generations of perfection. Generations of perfection. Generation of endless courage. Generations serving the Princess-"**

 _"Shattered."_ The lone standing Hylian spoke in a curt manner. "I didn't die for this. Hylia didn't create this world for this. The Goddesses didn't let me die for the land I love and return me to protect it once more so I can have a-"

 _"Disappointment."_ The cluster of three spoke now. The boy with the mask seemed to be twitching even more. "We have been forgotten through the ages. We have been cast away and we are okay with that. Though our legacy as the Hero of Time didn't survive we don't want the legacy of the Hero of the Wild to be-"

 _"Laughed at."_ The last Hylian spoke that could barely be heard over the wolf's barking. "We lost a dear friend for the sake of this land. We risked everything to protect this land and return Zelda from the clutches of Ganondorf's hold and yet you couldn't even manage a task much simpler."

 **"Disgusting."** They all spoke, causing Link to flinch. He didn't know what to do or how to respond. There was a steady flow of tears running down his cheeks and his hands were shaking so much Link was starting to think there may be something wrong with him. All the eyes, the unforgiving blue eyes, stared down at Link with such disappointment and such hatred. **"We don't understand. Your life goal is to simply serve Hyrule. You have failed."**

 _"No,"_ Link's shaky hands signed out. _"I haven't. Not yet. I'm still protecting my land. I'm going to be King. I still serve them."_ They all laughed. The masked faced boy had oddly begun floating and glowing a light purple. _"I can still serve them. Farore said- said that this was all part of their plan-"_

 **"A Goddess may say what she wants be in our heart of hearts we all know this was far from your fate."** The masked boy floated on over, still twitching all over. Link stayed rooted to the ground, he couldn't move for the life of him. His arm wouldn't move, he wanted to life the sword in his hand to at least try to defend himself but his arm wouldn't respond.

 _"You!"_ The boy grabbed Link by the shoulders and shook him roughly, cackling maniacally. "You have disgraced us!" Link shook his head, more tears streaming out his eyes. "You have made the legend of the hero a joke. You have shamed us all. You," the boys voice grew deeper as he began to draw out his sword, "have met a terrible fate," the boy plunged the sword deep into Link's chest, cackling as he did, "haven't you?"

-

"Master Link!" He woke up in a fright. Jumping out of bed in a cold sweat Link looked around anxiously. He was in Impa's house. He looked down at his bare chest and sighed in relief. All he found were the preexisting scars of a life time of battling. "Master Link!" Paya knocked on the door. "I have your clothes ready. My grandmother would like you down soon so you can relax before the ceremony." Link sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Right. The coronation. He would be King that day. Link dressed himself in his usual attire; his regular pants and boots with the travelers shirt he wore along with the hooded cape. Paya was still standing there, holding the clothes and when Link opened up the door she stumbled backwards. "I have your clothes for you- oh. You're dressed." Link took the clothes from her and slipped a piece of paper in her hand. Paya read it slowly, frowning a bit. "I-I'm not sure my grandmother would- oh no." Link had managed to slip through the seemingly too small window and was now climbing down the side of the house. Paya stood there in defeat, wondering what to do. This couldn't do any harm. Link was just going out to bathe...somewhere.

The Hero had used the ever useful power of Revali's Gale to propel himself upward and over to the forest where the Great Fairy Fountain was. He breathed in deeply and began walking down the withered away path that lead to a nearby field. The walk was nice. Link needed the fresh air and nature after last nights horrific and potentially traumatizing nightmare. The boy in the mask, the sword deep inside of him, the voices telling him how much of a disgrace he was. It was all something Link would never forget. However for a moment he pushed the thought aside. There was a couple ponds where a nearby Shrine resided. Link smiled, remembering Kass playing his accordion as he tried to ride a buck onto the platform.

The water of the pond refreshed and relaxed the tense soon-to-be King. As he floated in the shallow pond he allowed his mind to empty and simply enjoyed himself. It was at that moment that his mind then went from its blank state to wondering what Sidon was doing. A smile crept along Link's face as he thought of the Zora Prince attempting to float in this pond with Link. It'd certainly be an interesting sight.

Link scrubbed his scarred up body, he had left his underwear on just in case Paya told Impa and Impa sent out a search party for him, in an attempt to clean himself. He hasn't had a proper bath in...probably over a century. The most he's ever done for a bath is dunk himself in water before entering any populated area. He hoped that this quick scrub in some probably dirty pond water would be enough to wash away any stench of sweat, dirt, and possibly blood. 

Upon returning to the Village, Impa was waiting for him by the entrance. She spoke calmly and didn't seem at all angry at Link for running off. Maybe she knew he needed a small bit of time for himself before his life would change again.

The clothes he had to wear were less than comfortable. The shirt had an odd over the stomach belt kind of thing that squeezed Link just a bit. The actual belt had a gigantic gold triforce on it that was pretty heavy as was the long coat Link had to wear. His pants were a blinding white for some reason and were a bit itchy. The only normal part of his outfit were his boots. He had the _luxury_ of wearing the same ones he's been wearing. However the primping and preparing didn't stop there. On the carriage ride over to Castle Town Impa had Paya bring along a comb. The Sheikah elder spent the rest of the ride yanking Link's hair with the comb, attempting to get the every single knot out of his hair before putting it back into a much neater pony tail. 

They entered through the back of the castle. A bridge was built so the carriage could easily cross the large moat. Music was heard. Its happy sounds mixed with the loud talking and laughing of the Hylian, Gerudo, Zora, Goron, and Rito residents of Hyrule. The nervous butterflies that haven't gone away since last night now seemed to be fluttering around even more. Link felt like he was going to be sick. 

"You have time to enjoy yourself." Impa quietly said as Paya helped her out the carriage. "The official coronation won't begin until later. Right now the festival is in place and people will be roaming the castle as well." The elderly woman smiled and looked up at the castle. "It has been quite a long time since we have seen it in its full glory. Quite a long time indeed." She began walking down the dusty path, her granddaughter following close behind. "Now go on Link, enjoy yourself." He watched both of them walk around the corner of the castle before he himself went into one of the secret entrances inside. 

The only place he wanted to be right now was in his room, in his bed. That is exactly where he went. As he sprinted past those wandering the halls of his castle he could only think of how warm and comforting his bed would be. Successfully managing to escape the loudness of the crowd inside and out, Link sank into bed. He closed his eyes and imagined it was nighttime. He could even faintly Sidon's loud snore-like growls echoing in his little fantasy.

A brief knock on the door was followed by a certain Zora poking his head inside Link's room. Both smiled at each other. Sidon entered and quickly shut the door behind him and sat down besides his friend.

"Long time no see, your highness." Sidon chuckled as Link rolled his eyes. "I had a feeling I would come to find you hiding in your room. Not that I'm blaming you. These people are ruthless party animals. They know no limitations when asking questions and educating themselves on us Zora. I have had several people asking me if I was going to grow to be the height of my father." He chuckled. "It is interesting. So many Hylians haven't seen a Zora in their life. I suppose my people and I have been more secluded from the rest of the kingdom then we thought." Link nodded. He felt a tad bit more at ease now that Sidon was here.

"Anyway," Sidon stood up excitedly and motioned for his friend to stand as well, "I had something special made for you. I realized the other that you had special earrings designed for special purposes as well as circlets. Now, I realize these hold no real power but I thought it would be a nice gesture. It is your coronation after all." The Zora Prince pulled out a small box, nothing fancy about it other than the light blue ribbon on it. "I do hope you like them."

Link was expecting something relating to his newfound royalty. Perhaps it was some diamond earrings molded into the shape of the all important triforce. Maybe it was a ring or necklace with the same design. None of these possibilities were it. Inside the box was a pair of simple, yet beautiful earrings. These earrings were something special. They were made using luminous stones and molded into a rocky sort of shape. The stones glistened slightly in the sun, still beautiful, and would shine even brighter at night. Link smiled and took out the little blue earrings he always had on and replaced them with the new ones. Unlike the ones he had, these earrings didn't hang and weren't too heavy. They fit perfectly.

"You look wonderful, your highness." Sidon smiled, looking down at his handsome friend. The earrings twinkled in the sun and made Link's smiling seem brighter than ever. "Now then," The Prince of the Zora knelt down and offered The soon-to-be King his arm, "shall you and I make our way out and enjoy the festival." 

-

This festival was one that was long overdue. With the kingdom taken over by evils like monsters and the Calamity, no one ever felt safe enough to celebrate anything. A few would be brave enough to devote their life to traveling and meeting new people outside their homes but not many. Now here they all were. The legends of grand festivals being held here, at the very door at the castle, and being allowed in was something many children wished they could experience. Now here they all were; Hylian, Goron, Rito, Gerudo, Zora, everyone. Here they were, together and happy. New friendships were made and new things were tried. Link made progress. He usually kept to himself but came out of his shell just a bit when surrounded by the friends he made and fought alongside when easing the Divine Beasts. When asked to demonstrate the rumored skills that were passed on to him by the spirits of the Champions, he showed them off in a heart beat. 

These good times didn't last all day. At one point Impa pulled Link aside, telling him it was now time. He walked away from his friends, his face changed from a smile to his usual blank expression, and followed Impa to a platform that was built last minute. Everyone's attention was turned to the elderly Sheikah woman as she slowly walked to the middle. Paya held a pillow wit the crown placed on top. Purah, who still looked like a six year old girl, held the Master Sword. The four leaders of the biggest sub-communities stood on the platform. In place of his father, Sidon stood there with Link. Kaneli and Bludo also stepped down from the honor of standing besides the new Hyrule Royal to allow Teba and Yunobo the oppurtunity given the fact that they did help Link ease their respective Divine Beasts.

Everyone listened to Impa loudly speak about how she had helped Zelda and the late King Hyrule with preparations. They intently listened as she described every little detail she pulled from her memory of how Link was a very courageous knight and a very capable leader. Some people cried at the mention of how an intelligent and brave young woman Princess Zelda was. And finally, everyone cheered when Impa declared it was now time to officially crown the king. 

Link walked over. His gait was confident but he had his hands clenched to stop them from shaking too much. Since Impa was one of the few "officials" for the royal family that was left, she was the one to crown Link. Purah handed her younger sister the sword of legends. Both Link and Impa knelt down.

"O Goddesses, Farore, Naydra, Din, grant us your blessing." Impa  held the sword in both hands and raised it high in the sky. "O Goddesses true and holy, we seek that with your blessing and permission you allow the light to flow to this sword in recognition of the new King of Hyrule and Hero handpicked by you three." The crowd was silent, all eyes now on the sword. After a moment the sword glowed a bright light. The crowd cheered, quieting down a moment later. "O Goddess Farore, Goddess of Courage, you have granted Link the power of courage and have used his mortal body to protect us. Grant him your blessing in leading us all." Impa and Link stood, she held the sword out so the grip was facing Link. His hands were shaking and he didn't understand why. He had held this sword before. He had pulled it from its place and had been accepted as its master. He shouldn't be nervous that it would suddenly reject him.

Link took the sword in his hand and pressed it against his forehead. The Sword of Legend's light grew blindingly bright. The crowd cheered even more now. Link let out a little laugh of relief. At least now he knew the Goddesses were certain of their decision.

"With the blessing of the three great Goddesses, we shall proceed." Link knelt down once more, bowing his head a bit. Paya walked up to the both of them and handed her grandmother the golden crown. "With this crown placed upon your head you are promising to all of us here today that you will do anything in your power to protect this land and help us move towards a better, prosperous future like our ancestors wished. With the sword you hold in your hand you are renewing the vow you had made over one hundred years ago to stop the evils that lurk deep within Hyrule and use the power granted to you by the Goddess Farore  in our favor. With the power of the Goddess Farore, Goddess of Courage, you have the capability to do anything for your kingdom." Impa held the crown in both of her small hands. It was now hovering above Link's head. "Going along with tradition you shall don the last name Hyrule." He nodded and held his breath. This was it. "With the power invested in me, as Hyrule's previous adviser," she began lowering the crown, "I now pronounce you, Link Hyrule. The new King of Hyrule." The crown was placed on his head and Link stood up. His hands were visibly shaking but no one cared, not even Link as he raised the still shining sword above his head as the crowd cheered for their new king.


	14. Advice from Dorephan

"A King," King Dorephan began as he reclined in his throne, "is a leader, obviously. An example. I would say you have that aspect down. The entire kingdom knows your and your ancestors legacies. Now, a King is wise as well. You must not take yourself and only yourself into consideration. You have the lives of many rest on on your shoulders. Anything may affect those lives." Link listened intently. It had been a week since his coronation and he had done nothing he considered "kingly", now he was seeking the advice he remembered King Dorephan had offered him. He was sitting cross-legged in his Zora armor and greaves on the shiny wet floor of the throne room. He had set the crown aside at the beginning but King Dorephan asked him to place it back on his head. He liked seeing the small Hylian wear the crown. It made him proud.

"Now I understand that due to your gift you have uncontrollable bursts of immense courage. From what I remember my dear daughter telling me, you act as if you are immortal. You will have to find a way to reign that part of you in. I understand, in crucial times your training as a knight required you to act on instinct. However now you must think. If we are at the very beginnings of war you cannot simply send troops out without a battle plan. A King cannot wing it." Link nodded, feeling just a bit offended. "And as King, you must also consider other things for your kingdom aside from fighting. You now have the incredibly dull task of seeing how the kingdom's taxes get spent. Especially now what with the great need of repairs. However King Daphnes had placed experts to settle that task. I suggest you do that as well. If you had lived a normal life as a child you may know a thing or two about that part of your responsibility." The Zora King frowned. "However you did not live a normal childhood. You spent your days training to become the man you are today." _Man_. The word didn't sit well on Dorephan's tongue. Not for Link. He was a young boy, not a man yet. He was forced responsibility when he was a small child and now that he is a teenage boy he is having even more responsibility pushed on him. It saddened the Zora King.

"You can find the well known money experts in Hateno Village. If you so please I can send a Zora out to find one. You must also consider travel routes. In the days of the Calamity our merchants traveled aimlessly. It is now time to create paths to make sure they are safe." Link nodded. Beedle was the one that popped into his head for this job. He didn't know why but Beedle seemed to appear just about everywhere, he had to know the safer routes of the kingdom for merchants. "And trade is definitely a major aspect to a flourishing kingdom. Especially since our villages are so far apart. Trade routes can increase money being made and help us progress."

The King looked down at Link. Link had been scribbling down notes the whole time. He didn't smile down at the boy. He didn't praise him for paying attention or for seeming so relaxed even if something this serious was being placed on him. He, instead, was angry, but only a little. The anger was unintentional and honestly unjustifiable. It wasn't Link's fault he happened to be the chosen one. It wasn't his fault at all but Dorephan still held some anger towards him for it. If he wasn't the chosen one he would've had a better life. He would've been happier. When Link looked up from his messy notes Dorephan spoke again.

"I am embarrassed to admit this, but I pray to the Goddesses that my son doesn't turn out like you." The Hylian was taken aback. That was...slightly rude. "Not to say I don't admire and respect you. But that is just it. I don't want him to be like you because I'm worried he may not be happy in life. I don't mean to be rude in any way, but I can see the emotions hiding underneath the skillfully used mask of stoicism you place on your face before talking to anyone. I can see the many years of hardships you have faced. And while I admire the trauma you have dealt with, I do not wish that kind of pain on my own kin." The King looked up and outside. The sun was high up in the sky and the happy chatter of his residents and travelers intermingled. Sidon was out there, among the Zora, telling tales of his adventures with the new King. "I have tried my best to prepare him to be a king, and I have tried my best to allow him to be a child. He is still fairly young for a Zora, I do not want his youth to be shrouded with the stresses of royalty."

Link looked down at his lap. Guilt washed over him and thoughts of telling Sidon to return to his home immediately popped into his mind. He knew the Zora King meant no ill will and he knew the Zora King wanted whatever made his son happier. But that wasn't stopping Link from trying to come up with a plan to convince the Prince to go back.

"Forgive me." Dorephan sighed. "Again, I did not mean to upset you. I am simply a father trying to protect my only family from hurting any more than he already has. However I know I cannot protect him from everything. Emotions are one thing I cannot simply pick up and throw far away from my home. I will admit, he does seem to be more...active since you have returned to his life. Most of what I remember him doing is swimming deep into the depths of the water below us or simply floating in the waters near Vah Ruta. Often he would lock himself in his room and only come out to pray to his sister's statue. I believe you have done him well." The Zora smiled kindly and Link returned it with a smile of his own. "I must ask you one thing, it may be a bit too personal and you are more than welcome to deny an answer. How are you?" 

_"I'm fine."_ The response was instant. Link didn't think much of the question and he didn't think Dorephan would read much into his response.  The gigantic Zora leaned back and examined the Hylian King in front of him before speaking again.

"I understand, you are still not quite ready to talk. That's fine." Link rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "These things take time. Tell me, how are you since your coronation? I know you are inexperienced but how are you feeling about everything?"

_"I..."_ Link faltered and lowered his hands. He sighed and began pacing. To be quite honest he didn't understand how he was feeling. He was excited, honored, proud. He was King of his home, he was the most important person in Hyrule. At the same time he was terrified. The dream he had not too long ago still crept into his mind and made him feel as if he was a failure of a King before he even begun doing his kingly duties. _"I had a dream. Three- no, four. Four girls stood around me. With them there were five...five men? Some looked like men or at least mature teens. Then there were two boys. They all looked like me in some way. And there was a wolf too. It was..."_ Link racked his brain trying to figure out what part of his dream he would tell the King. He didn't want him to worry. _"One of the boys wore a mask and stabbed me. That is it."_

Link walked more towards the entrance and looked outside, mentally debating whether or not he should mention what he had remembered of his life before the Calamity. Eventually he sighed and turned around, signing it out.

_"I also...remembered something. Of myself when I was a child. I think...it was my mother and father? I'm not sure. I visited a home in Castle Towns when it was just ruins and I...remembered something."_ Link looked up to see the slightly surprised look of King Dorephan. This was certainly...something. Both of what he Link had confessed was...something. The Zora King sighed and thought for a moment but Link began signing again. _"And I have been feeling...this is pretty damn embarrassing to say but...I think I have grown too dependent of Sidon."_ He lowered his hands, not giving any more detail but Dorephan didn't need any.

"Ah, that is something I am able to answer confidently. I'm going to let you in on a small secret, Your Highness, my son has been attempting nudge you into perhaps becoming more comfortable towards him. You see, since the day you arrived here with the very upsetting news of the Princess's death he felt the need to become the friend you hadn't had in a long while, so perhaps you being dependent on him isn't such a negative thing. However I do not recommend being completely reliant on Sidon, just enough to where you are able to feel comfortable enough to discuss things you need to get off your chest. I understand it may be hard but please, for your sake, make an effort." Link allowed a small smile to escape his stoic expression and nodded. What the Goddess had informed Link long ago about someone being his guide returned and now he was more sure than ever that it was Sidon.

The two talked some more after that. King Dorephan explained certain things a King should do and what Link should probably do. Setting stronger relationships with the Goron, Rito, and Gerudo was one thing Link was tasked to do and was actually excited for. When all was said and done, Link began heading out but the Zora King stopped him once more.

"Son, before you go I would like to offer you one last piece of advice regarding your recent recollection of a childhood memory. As  you travel Hyrule to strengthen the bonds between the sub-communities, do not be afraid to explore the land some more. Perhaps another memory will return. And...those five figures in your dream. That is something that can be answered in an old, ancient library buried deep within Hyrule Castle. It holds the history and secrets of those five and it may even help you in your own journey."

Link smiled and thanked the King once more. He bowed and promised to return soon before he turned and began walking out. Sidon was playing with the Zora children. As he walked down the glittering stairs and thanked the Goddesses for someone like Sidon in his life.


	15. Hyrule Historia: Part I

"It would be wise to return to the castle before the sun sets." Sidon spoke quietly, opening an eye to glance over at Link. The two of them were spending a relaxing afternoon on the grassy field just south of the castle. The view was nice and the weather was wonderful. Link had brought along two of his horses to get some time to stretch their legs. The King of Hyrule was sitting on a tree, attempting to get a little nap but he hasn't managed to fall asleep.

Link sighed rather loudly and nodded. Glancing over at Hyrule castle with a dissatisfied expression, he jumped down from the tree and begrudgingly headed towards Sidon. Both of them had been avoiding going to the secret library Dorephan had mentioned to Link. Link avoided it because he didn't want to learn anything from his bloodline's past that may upset him. Sidon avoided it because _he_ didn't want to learn anything from Link's past that would upset _him_. However the two of them knew they couldn't tiptoe around it forever. Besides, Link had done one rather exhausting task and it might be nice to unwind in the library for hours.

What was the task? Link had to track down Beedle and convince him to set his on-the-go shop aside just long enough to map out the safest areas of Hyrule for a merchant to travel to. Now this may seem like something easy, Beedle must've surely accepted this job in a heartbeat! He did not. Beedle had to be convinced by Link, not in rupees, but in beetles. It was quite amusing really. Half the roaming merchants got to see their King wear the Sheikah armor and crawl around on the ground silently to try to grab the rarest of beetles.

Sidon and Link walked side by side. Link kept his sword out just in case. There was a very small chance of any monster or Yiga Clan member attacking but he had to be safe. Especially with Sidon around.

"You're quite adorable you know- when you're in what I like to call "protective mode."" Link's marching-like walk faltered as he looked up at Sidon with a look of confusion and slight embarrassment. "Don't take a offense by it! It's a compliment! You see, I've noticed when you're prepared to fight your ears tend to twitch back, mimicking a cat's ears or a dogs! You also have a habit of speeding up only to pause and stand there with the sword in your hand. Like I said, it's quite adorable." Link blinked and suddenly it was as if awkwardness had consumed him. He raised his hands up, and began signing his response. However his slight confusion and embarrassment intermingled with his tendency to be a bit too blunt and he embarrassed himself, and Sidon, more than he realized.

 _"I think you're adorable when you're looking at me and you think I don't notice."_ The Zora prince's eyes widened and he quickly looked straight ahead, clearing his threat.

"R-Right well. Shall we...er...discuss what we should be looking for the in library? Is there anything specific we should seek out first? We don't want to walk in blindly." Sidon asked quickly and awkwardly. Link didn't seem to notice the very obviously surprised and embarrassed Zora so he simply shrugged and responded normally.

 _"I suppose we start at the beginning, whatever that may be."_ Sidon nodded and the two walked in silence.

~

One characteristic of Link's that Sidon had the honor of remembering was the fact that he was extremely impatient. The King of Hyrule just slammed down the third book he had opened and was currently laying on the floor groaning in annoyance. The King then tossed a small pebble a foot away from Sidon to get the Zora's attention.

 _"This is impossible."_ Link signed to his friend, _"I can't find one that could tell of the beginnings of Hyrule or anything of significance."_

"Patience, your highness." Sidon closed the book in his hands that detailed Hyrule Castle's older designs. Nothing too important but still interesting. "The books are old and there are many of them, one will be the one you're looking for. You just need to have the patience for it." Link rolled his eyes at that, crossing his arms as well. "I understand you're used to getting things when you want them what with you having control over your own life but these things take time." The Hylian somewhat annoyed face fell just a bit at the realization that Sidon was right. "I'll go fetch a cook to make us something to eat while we're in here. I know how much a good meal means to you." Link thanked Sidon, even offering him a half smile, just as Sidon stood up and ventured out into the castle.

Now, he was alone. And feeling guilty. He really didn't deserve Sidon, all the Zora Prince did was give Link his constant affection and confidence and all Link did was whine and complain. He couldn't even find the _one_ book they were looking for after hours upon hours of looking. He really was feeling hopeless. He could figure out complex puzzles created by the Monks in the shrines and solve difficult riddles that were made by old pirates trying to hide their treasure but he couldn't find a book. Why were the Goddesses mocking him?

As if on cue, a soft golden glow emerged from a book on a bookcase hidden away in the corner. Link blinked and quickly got to his feet and scrambled to the book. It was still glowing as he took it in his hands but the light died down when he opened it.

It was, obviously, an old book. The cover looked like it had been dragged across Hyrule a good couple times and it just _smelled_ old. The gold lettering on the cover was peeling, as was the famous Hyrule symbol of the Triforce with the bird-type figure, but he could still make out the words **"THE BEGINNINGS OF HYRULE AND THE LEGENDS OF SKYLOFT"**. The King grinned and silently thanked the Goddesses as he returned to his previous spot and began reading.

 _"_ _Since the very beginning, Hyrule has always been a prosperous place. Though before it even took the name Hyrule, it was considered the strongest in all the land."_ Link sighed, skipping a few pages ahead. He didn't want to read about how Hyrule was so great even before it was Hyrule. Once he found a page that seemed interesting, he stopped and resumed reading.

_"The Goddess Hylia gathered a number of people, placing them on the tops of mountains and sending those mountain tops high into the sky. That land was named Skyloft and served as a safe haven or temporary home for the citizens while a war took place down below. However Skyloft soon became a permanent home due to the destruction of the land below. As Hylia led an army of soldiers against the Demon King's army, it has been said that a prisoner was released in order to help the cause. The prisoner was wrongly put away, chained by the wrists deep in the dungeons of an old castle, for prophesying the war and rise of Demise. He, however held no ill will once the soldiers asked for his aid and was determined to fight for the land he so loved.  The war was fought valiantly and in the end, Demise was banished and all was at peace, however the land below Skyloft was destroyed. Not much has been recorded about the hero who took place on the red Loftwing, bird of the Goddess and part of Hyrule's official symbol, other than his name. Link, the Hero of the land of Hylia."_

Link promptly shut the book, placed it on the floor and and held his head in his hands. At that moment, Sidon returned from his mini-trip through the castle to find a cook. The Zora paused in the too-short doorway and tilted his head upon seeing Link in such a...scared looking position. He then noticed a book by his friend's feet and put two and two together.

"Link," Sidon awkwardly sat down next to the King, "Perhaps this is enough reading for one day. I do not wish for you to be too overwhelmed with-" The Hylian suddenly slammed his fist down on the rocky floor and shook his head vigorously. 

 _"No,"_ He signed with one hand, _"I need to keep going. I just need you to continue reading for me."_ The look in Link's eyes told Sidon not to argue with him. In fact that look told him if he didn't continue reading soon Sidon would witness something he may never forget. For a second Sidon was admittedly scared of his small friend, for a second that fear was there. It vanished as quick as it had appeared once Sidon remembered that Link would never do anything to hurt anyone who didn't pose a threat. In fact, the slight anger may have just been aimed towards himself and not Sidon.

"As you wish," Sidon cupped Link's cheek in one gigantic hand and smiled softly, "however do not hesitate to ask me to stop if things get too much for you. I understand." Just like that the anger vanished and Link looked as expressionless as ever. He nodded and slumped against Sidon, signing a quick apology for acting so rudely. Sidon felt slightly relieved and slightly concerned, however this wasn't a time to address anything. He had to read the book as promised. Once Link pointed out where to begin, the Zora cleared his throat and began.

 _"Much of Link has been kept from us. No one knows of his life before he was imprisoned and no one knows of any family, and sadly no one knows where his body was left after he met his death once winning the war. It has been said that the Goddess Hylia had placed both a blessing and a curse on the brave hero before she went on to live through a mortal. Using the magic she had hidden away with her people, she used Link's courageous spirit to awaken the power in the Master Sword. So to speak, Link never truly died as his spirit is the Master Sword itself. The Master Sword also houses Fi, the Spirit of the Sword, and Demise, the Demon King who had cursed both Link and the young girl Zelda who doubled as Hylia's mortal form to be haunted by his reincarnated rage."_ Sidon paused for a moment to turn the page. his hands were shaking just a bit. Now he understood why Link was acting the way he was.

_"The second thing Hylia had done to the Hero was give him the gift of eternal life. Again, using the magic she had entrusted with her people, she made it so the Hero could be reborn time and time again to defend the land he loved and defend his people. He was to be reborn no matter the outcome of the war and no matter the decisions he made. With this, the new hero was reborn having no recollection of his past life or any sort of interaction with the Goddess Hylia. Without these he was still the hero and a knight in training. He and Zelda, said to be a childhood friend of his, had been whisked away down to the Surface which had been left a monster-ridden waste land once the war with Demise was over. Much of what happened on the Surface is unknown. However from the little that has been told, a self-proclaimed Demon Lord had begun execution of his plan to revive the Demon King Demise. Demise never was revived in the sense that he wanted. Once Demise was sure to never return, both Zelda and Link returned to Skyloft before once again making their way back down to the Surface to protect the Triforce and establishing the Kingdom of Hyrule."_

_"The Hero of Hyrule's next incarnation is yet to be revealed. The current oracles have had no sign of the next hero's return other than a small, blue instrument. No set date and no set threat has been revealed much to our relief-"_ Link rested a hand on the book and pushed it down slightly. Sidon nodded and closed it.

 _"It's amazing, isn't it?"_ Link's hands were slow with the words as if he had chains on his wrists. 

"What is?" Sidon looked down worriedly. The King sighed and leaned against the Zora more, finding comfort in him.

 _"The fact that I can never die, even if I die. I have...I am essential. I cannot die. I cannot...I cannot catch a break. I cannot...I am needed. Now and forever. I am...Hyrule's weapon."_ Looking down at his hands, Link frowned slightly. _"My ancestor... **I** died for this kingdom and I am cursed to relive the anguish of battle and the pain of possible failure." _

"Do not think that way." Sidon slammed the book shut and the sound echoed through the stairway that led back up into the castle. "This curse is something horrible, yes, but I believe the Goddess did not intend to make you suffer purposely! You must think of this reincarnation as a trait of the Gods." Link raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the meaning behind what Sidon had said. "Listen, my dear. You are _clearly_ one powerful soul. You have fought for centuries, even if it technically wasn't you, against the forces of evil! You have become a living legend! You have been entrusted with the Goddesses with their beloved land in more than one way. You are a strong and courageous person. Not in the sense of physical fitness and in how brave you are in the face of Ganon but in the sense that you and your past selves have been through much turmoil and yet you still choose to fight for what you believe to be right!"

"I have held many of my feelings towards you back, in all honesty. However I now know this is a time to share my true emotions! Link, I admire you. You are the bravest soul I have ever met. With no recollection of your life one hundred years ago you still freed the Champions and defeated the Calamity. With no real memory of yourself you still put yourself aside and decided to claim the crown and rule this kingdom. You have saved me countless times on our adventures and you have been an excellent friend to all. Often times you believe that you have failed us all and that you hold no relevance now that everything has been said and done, however that is not true. Even if all of Hyrule agrees that you have used up your usefulness, which will never happen, I will _always_ be there for you. You are my most treasured friend and I cannot begin to explain how much I value you!"

Link's face was warm and his eyes were wide. He didn't know if the blushing was from the the amount of compliments Sidon just showered him with or with or maybe it was the fact that Sidon was clasping Link's hands tightly in his own and his face was about two inches away.

"You will always hold a very special place in my heart, Link. Everything you've accomplished makes me unbelievably proud and every little thing you do brings great joy to my heart. It pains me to see you be so hard upon yourself and while I disagree with the way you think yourself to be, I will fight until you see yourself the way I see you. Link, I hold no shame in saying that I do love you."


	16. Temporary Answer To A Confusing Problem

It hasn't occurred to a great many in the kingdom that Link was still a child. They all thought of him as the Hero that saved Hyrule, as the King, as the hylian that knew no boundaries and would pick a fight with a Lynel or the Calamity again if he wanted to. No one really dwelled on the fact that he was mentally still a teenage boy. No one really thought about how he had spent 100 years asleep. No one thought of Link as a child which was why it was such a shock to both Teba and Kass when Link went to them for help. Romantic help.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the whole "romantic help" question was the part where Link mentioned Sidon to be the love interest. The two Rito cast each other rather confused looks. The King of Hyrule was having a romantic-related crisis involving the Prince of the Zoras. Neither Kass nor Teba knew how to react or respond in a situation like this.

_"...so I don't understand what he meant."_ Link finished explaining, looking at both Ritos in front of him. _"Do you think he meant it in a simple, platonic manner just to stop my self loathing or was he being serious?"_

"Perhaps..." Kass begun uncertainly, glancing over to Teba and silently asking for help if he managed to muck up his answer, "it is best to consult the Goddesses. Farore would be the best chose considering your...connection to her." Teba rolled his eyes.

"No, listen, we don't know what to tell you in all honesty. In fact, we don't even know why you came to us with such a personal question."

_"Because you're both fathers and the closest thing I have to a father."_ Oh. Oh Hylia why did Link have to say that. Teba and Kass' eyes widened slightly, a small wave of sadness washing over them.

"Well, we're both certainly very honored to be considered father figures to you, aren't we Teba?" The other nodded as Kass spoke. "And...I suppose we could...help in some way though we don't really know how to."

"I liked your idea, praying to Farore for advice." Teba grunted. He turned just a bit and pointed towards the set of long, winding stairs that led up and down the Rito Village. "Just go down to the Goddess statue we have and pray to your hearts content."

_"No, if i'm going to do that i'm going to do it right. We can go to the Spring of Courage."_

"But...the path up to the spring is a treacherous one." Kass chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I should know, I spent many days around that area avoiding monsters and lightning strikes. We will surely be fatally injured if not killed!" Link scoffed and waved the statement away.

"Kid, while I know _you're_ fully capable of running up there and defeating every monster and managing to escape every strike of lightning, _we are not_. We are, sadly, much weaker than you in the lightning-proof department and I sure as hell cannot handle an entire horde of monsters surrounding me. I'm sure Kass can't either, an accordion and a good singing voice won't stop a Moblin from clubbing us down."

"It's true." Kass sighed. "I've attempted to pacify monsters with music before. Turns out it only makes them more hostile." Again, Link scoffed and waved the worry away. Instead of offering a very self-absorbed comment on how Link could "protect the two of them from anything", he instead reached around to open the small pouch he kept attached to the back of his belt. He reached inside and pulled out two objects (that really had no physical way to  fit in such the tiny pouch). One was a pair of Topaz earrings and the other was the famed Thunder Helm of the Gerudo. Both Rito looked at each other for a second before sighing, and each taking one object. Kass attacked the earrings to his scarf while Teba attempted to find a place for the helm (he ended up strapping it onto his thigh). By the time the two looked up Link had changed into the slightly terrifying Barbarian armor.

They had no choice. Link seemed determined to go with the two of them and after Link admitting to seeing them as father figures they couldn't just decline. The King of Hyrule clambered onto Teba's back. Excitement was clear on his face and actions but neither of the two Rito were the slightest bit excited. With a nod from Link, the two Rito flew up into the sky and took off to the Spring of Courage.

-

Link had managed to defeat every monster in their way and were over half way to the Spring. Behind them were the corpses of slain Lizalfos, Moblins, and Bokoblins that nearly all bled an odd purple color that was similar to the paint of Link's outfit. Neither Kass nor Teba mentioned that, however. No matter how uncomfortable the thought made them.

The King of Hyrule had found a small cave just big enough for the three of them and a camp fire. Link had made them all a nice meal of seared fish as well as shared the sweeter foods he had baked before venturing out. Kass was playing his accordion, the soothing song of his late teacher rang throughout the empty woods around them as Teba plucked the twigs and leaves out of his feathers. Link had taken it upon himself to keep guard, as he rested on the ground he was sure to listen for any sign of a monster. 

The music stopped and Kass sighed.

"I don't mean to be rude Link- your highness, but I have to ask how you can handle fighting all the time." Link tilted his head. "I understand that you had to fight for survival and for the fate of the kingdom once upon a time but now the need for it is over."

_"It's the only thing I know how to do at this point."_ Link signed in response. _"When I woke up, I had to protect the kingdom. I didn't know anything about anything, I didn't know my name or where I was, but I knew how to fight. It's what I'm built for. I suppose that's why I continue to look for small fights to pick with monsters."_

"Yeah but kid, you can't just keep living your life fighting every evil thing you see. If you do, you'll have died as nothing more than a fighting machine."

_"Wrong."_ Link turned his body to face more towards the two and continued. _"I will have died doing something that will protect the people I care for and I will have died doing something that makes the heroes before me proud. Although...it would be nice to not fight as often as I do. I suppose that is why I like Sidon so much."_

"Because he reminds you that you are more than just a machine built by the Goddesses image?" Kass murmured. The King nodded and looked at the crackling fire in front of him. 

_"It's silly to think of but I believe every hero before me has had this issue. And maybe every hero before me has had someone to make them believe they're more than a weapon."_ A frown slowly placed itself on Link's face, his hands lowered just a bit as if to signify the sadness in his words before he began signing again. _"And perhaps every hero before me has had doubts that they deserve that person, or if that person does care for them..."_ Kass and Teba glanced at one another, sharing a silent look that showed clear worry for the young King. _"This is why I want to go to the Spring of Courage. Maybe an answer will be given to me. Maybe I'll know if what he said was genuine in the way I believe it was meant. I don't want to just assume and do something that may offend him and...disgrace the memory of Mipha."_

Awkward silence filled the cave only to be disturbed a second later by Teba. He cleared his throat and looked at Link. Teba wasn't going to just sit there and allow anyone to wallow in pity so he had to quickly come up with a distraction. As a father he learned that that was the best way to keep a child from bawling on the floor and potentially embarrassing you and themselves.

"As a young Rito I heard stories of Revali. I have to ask, was he as nice or as great as the they painted him to be?" Link snorted.

_"When I landed on Vah Medoh the first thing he said to me was a complaint on how long I had kept him waiting. The first memory of him I recalled was where he basically deemed me less than fit to get rid of Ganon and called himself a better archer."_ Link smiled a bit. _"No, he wasn't as nice to me. However to the others...I can only assume he was. And if he had gotten past being called my "support" in the whole fight then he and I may have been great friends. As bad as that all sounds if he were alive in that Divine Beast still, I would've done anything in my power to save him. He didn't see me as a friend but I see him as one. And...if I had the chance to talk to him again then I'd thank him for the help."_

"You're truly a kindhearted one, Link. Hyrule is lucky to have you and I'm sure Revali is more than grateful for you releasing his soul." Kass smiled as he tossed another stick in the dying campfire.

_"In all honesty, it is kind of depressing always seeing Revali whenever I use the gift he gave me."_ Teba perked up just a bit hearing this. He had seen Link show off Revali's Gale before, but he was hoping perhaps he could see it once more. Revali was a great Rito and although not many talked about him, he would always be Teba's role model.

"I don't wanna be rude or anything...but..." Link stood up before Teba could finish and walked farther out the cave. The King jumped and knelt down on the ground. It wasn't long before the ground began to shake and Link was thrown up into the air by a forceful wind. The spirit of the Rito Champion Revali flew up besides Link and made a _"there you go"_ type motion with his hand just before disappearing until the next time Revali's Gale would be used.

-

None of the three were really considered huggers, however once Link reached the Spring and reassured them that he could pray to Farore on his own suddenly he was being taken up in big, feathery arms. It was nice spending time with the two. Link felt as if he had a small family for just a moment. He had even felt comfortable enough to dwell on his previous friendship with Revali and talk more of his experiences with both Kass and Teba. But now the two were back in the sky and flying home. Link was left alone in the cold waters with the Master Sword in hand. 

He took no more than an hour there. Most of the time was spent on himself and not any actual communication with the Goddess. Link debated several possibilities where Sidon did in fact mean he loved him romantically, and some where Sidon meant he loved Link as  a way to help Link feel less horrible about himself. In the end, Link received an answer from Farore. It wasn't one he wanted to hear, but it was one he needed to hear. 

His journey back home was much quicker than the journey to the Spring. It was simply a quick tap on the Sheikah Slate and suddenly he was standing in the docks underneath his castle. Link stood there a minute, looking down at the water underneath. Without a second thought he changed into his Zora armor and dove in. Hours later, Sidon found Link swimming around in the Castle's moat. Sidon couldn't even begin to question Link before the Hylian dashed through the water and embraced the Zora Prince. Sidon was caught off guard but he hugged back nonetheless. Even with the surprise of the sudden hug and even with the noise of the small waves (created with the movement) splashing against the moats walls, Sidon could've sworn he heard the faintest "thank you."


	17. Hyrule Historia: Part II

Sidon held the old book in his hands as Link stayed leaning against his side. They were on the second hero's adventure and more and more things were discovered of Link's past. He was, at one point, part of a tribe of tree children and technically the son of the Great Deku tree. The Link in this period of time had also fallen asleep, the only difference was Link had slept for one hundred years and the other hero slept for seven years. Surprisingly enough, the Zora Princess had fallen in love with the "Hero of Time". That little fact only made Sidon feel guilty for his own feelings towards Link. Clearly the Zora's have always had a thing for Link but usually it was the Princesses. There was no page on a Zora _Prince_.

Sidon pushed that out of his head and continued reading to his beloved friend. This Link was the child of the Great Deku Tree, technically. He was part of a tribe under the Deku Tree's watch but it worked the same way. This Hero also possessed a powerful instrument called an "Ocarina". It supposedly had the power to change the flow of time. The "Ocarina of Time" doubled with the Temple of Time which was what Link had slept in for seven years. Much to Sidon's- and partially Link's- surprise the Temple of Time was still standing in the Great Plateau. Whether it was the exact same temple as before or not, it didn't matter. Link had already made plans to explore that ruined temple more and hopefully find the Ocarina itself. The book they were reading said that there was rumors of the instrument being locked away there or lost forever. Link hoped it was the former.

As Sidon continued reading the words written by their ancestors he kept a close eye on Link. He watched his facial expressions change with every new bit of information. He began noticing smaller things such as how his eyes would light up with excitement whenever a new piece of information on Hyrule was before, on the people, the different races, on the enemy himself. However whenever Link (The Hero of Time in this case) was mentioned, his face grew dark and somewhat guilty. His expression turned sour as his eyes would avert to the ground and his ears would very subtly point downward just a bit. Then, Sidon would read the next page on the hero's great and legendary horse, Epona, and his face would light up again. It was an interesting change in his mood and Sidon made a mental note to ask why Link did that another day.

Late in the afternoon when the book was over and done with. Link stood, stretched, yawned, and began walking up the stairs back into the castle. Sidon stayed back for just a bit, assuring Link he would be up soon. He sat there with the book in his large hands, it was opened to a page with an illustration of princess Ruto. It was amazing how much Zora's have evolved over the years. I'm Sidon's opinion, Zora's seemed more.... _fish-like_ back then than now. It didn't matter, the Zora's would always be an extremely strong race no matter what their physical appearance was!

A few moments passed, Sidon silently wondered how his ancestor had managed to even grab Link's attention in a romantic way, before he finally put the book back on its rightful place on the proper shelf. Sidon sighed and began going up the many stairs that led into the castle. He hadn't lost faith in his (hopefully) future relationship with the Hero of the Wild. In fact he was a tad bit more confident knowing a Zora from the past had managed to reel in that Hylian! He was going to give it all he has and if Link...happens to reject him then so be it. Sidon would never let that affect them. He would continue to support him in any way possible. He would bear the pain and continue to show his love for Link in his motivation for him.

Servants buzzed around the castle. Link never actually wanted people in Hyrule Castle, not even if they were servants. He believed he could take care of the whole castle on his own! Plus he didn't want to seem like a power hungry King by having servants. Sidon managed to convince Link that having people working in the castle to keep it tidy would not make him seem power hungry at all. Besides, he wasn't forcing people to be servants. Many, if not all, of those working in the castle did so willingly. The glamour of the newly remodeled building was their motive for working here and they loved spending nearly every minute of every day admiring the beauty of it. To Sidon, the servants were more than just servants. They also served as a sort of monitor for Link. Sidon had secretly asked those working in the parts of the castle Link most often visited to keep an eye on him. Nothing too crazy, just making sure Link was being taken care of and fed and all those basic things. Yes it sounds insane that the King of Hyrule needs to be checked to see if he has eaten yet but Link still hasn't managed to get used to a proper eating schedule or eating at all. Sidon knew this was probably a bit too overprotective but he just wanted to make sure Link didn't accidentally go days without food. This Kingdom can't afford to lose another leader.

Sidon's room was directly across from Link's. His room was new, actually. New to Sidon. Usually the Zora Prince slept out in the moat but Link figured since he was spending so much time at the castle he might as well sleep inside. So he brought in the water beds from Zora's Domain and plopped it in the room across from his own. Link was originally going to ask Sidon to sleep in his room with him but he didn't want anything to be weird. Not yet at least.

So there was Sidon. Door to his room closed behind him and a special project in front of him. That would be acknowledged a little later but for now Sidon sat on his bed and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes. He thought of the things he had planned to do today and how little time he really had. Then he thought of Link and how he was planning on going to the ruins of the Temple of Time. Hylia, he couldn't make it up there if his life depended on him but he knew Link would ask to accompany him. But Sidon couldn't. Not today. He glanced over at the special project and sighed. He had been working on it since he had the idea of creating his own Zora armor for Link and yet it still wasn't finished. No, it wasn't Zora armor. He knew better than to make Link another one. That armor was a gift from Mipha and of course Sidon made one of his own for Link. He would feel as if he were dishonoring his dear sister in making more Zora to proclaim _his_ love for the Hylian. Instead he made something more to Link's standards. Something he'd love very much and would most likely use every day (though Sidon didn't _want_ him to use it every day). Though the Prince had very little skills in terms of creating the actual gift, he had a rather close family friend help him.

Loud rustling was heard just outside the Zora's door and he instantly knew that it would be time for Link to come knocking and invite him out for another adventure. He stood, took in another deep breath to compose himself, and opened the door. Standing just outside was Link in his casual, travelers attire (and mandatory crown) with his fist in the air. The King smiled up to his Zora friend and raised his other hand in there to begin signing his invitation. Before Link could even spell out a single word Sidon spoke.

"I apologize my dear friend, I cannot accompany you today. I fear I have some chores to take care of here at the castle. However I will eagerly wait for your return later this day to hear all about your adventure. Please forgive me." Link's face fell slightly but he nodded. He stood there awkwardly a moment before signing a quick goodbye. Sidon wasn't going to let him go that easily, however. "Woah there, your majesty. Don't believe you can just leave without a proper goodbye." Sidon knelt down and hugged the small Hylian tightly, but not too tightly of course. He had gotten into the habit of hugging Link goodbye. He learned that the physical contact made Link feel loved and appreciated and it just made Sidon happy. The two broke apart and the Zora Prince gave his friends a few departing words of encouragement before the King jogged down the hallway, around the corner, and out of sight.

Finally.

Sidon quickly shut the door behind him once more and plopped down on the bed. His project was staring him straight in the eye and Sidon knew that if he didn't finish it soon he never would. With a long, exasperated sigh he mentally prepared himself and picked up the half-done gift to try to get closer to its completion. Hopefully by the time Link returned he'd have at least half of it finished.

-

" _What do you mean he hasn't returned?_ He _must've_ returned at some point in the night!" A member of the new Royal Guard yelled out to a gatekeeper in a panicked tone. "Why didn't anyone bother to accompany him? He is the _King_ of Hyrule!"

"He...He's also the Hylian Champion who defeated the Great Calamity and....survived on his own in the wilderness surrounded by Lynels, Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos for a fairly long time...Not to mention he, uh, reclaimed the Divine Beasts..." a new soldier in training piped up. She was a Zora and had always heard rumors of how amazing a fighter Link was. She believed he was fit to take care of himself. Too bad her commander didn't share her opinion.

"Yes but he is the _KING_ of _HYRULE_! If he is to die then...then this Kingdom is doomed! _Again!_ " The Royal Guard Knight continued his angry yelling just outside of Link's empty room to the small group of underclass soldiers. Unluckily for Sidon this also happened to be just outside his bedroom door. For a moment he attempted to stifle the yells but once he heard the words "Link" and "missing" being used he shoot up and stumbled to open the door.

"What do you mean Link has gone missing?!" Sidon boasted before he even managed to pry open the door. "He was only to go to the ruins in the Great Plateau and return!"

"Your highness," all knights bowed and averted their eyes as the Royal Guardsman spoke to Sidon, "It seems the King of Hyrule has not yet returned from-"  a thunderous roar echoed throughout the castle and cut off the Royal Guardsman mid-sentence. Outside shrill screeches were heard followed by another roar. A moment hadn't passed and yet half the soldiers and soldiers in training were rushing to see what the ruckus was about.

"Oh dear Hylia!" Sidon yelled as he watched the epic battle between Link and a Lynel unfold far too close to Castle Town. Link was smacked right into the town square by the gigantic bat-looking weapon the Lynel held. The King wasted no time in springing to his feet and sprinting towards the silver monster. The Lynel was charging straight to the gate into Castle Town and it was at this time that Sidon ordered the Royal Guard Commander to hurry down and protect the residents. In the moment that he tore his eyes away from Link, Link had managed to mount the savage monster and steer him a somewhat safe distance away from the town. The monster didn't like that so of course it grabbed the small King and flung him down onto the ground. Another thunderous roar ripped through the air and Link had barely enough time to dodge a deadly swing from the Lynel. While the beast prepared for another attack, the Hylian pulled out his bow and shot an array of three arrows. While the monster was down he took this opportunity to lunge at the beast and attack. At this point the soldiers were making a protective barrier in front of the open gate of Castle Town. The residents were standing behind them and watching in fear, shock, and some amazement as Link continued to attack the beast. The Lynel quickly recovered, shoved Link to the ground rather forcefully and slammed its weapon down on the ground creating a dome of fire around them. Before the fire died down a rumble rippled through the air and all was silent. 

Out of the dust came a whistle which Sidon immediately recognized as the one Link used to call for his horses. He looked down to where he last saw the King of Hyrule only to see him now standing on the corpse of the silver Lynel, holding what looked like the Ocarina and had a gigantic smile on his face. Link was looking in Sidon's direction, holding the Ocarina with a big 'ol thumbs up accompanying it.  As if nothing had just happened, Link slid off the Lynel and walked cheerily to the town's entrance. 

"Oh dear Hylia!" Sidon wheezed out as he turned away from the window he was staring through and leaned against the wall. He was out of  breath and his heart was beating a million beats a minute. "Oh my...oh Goddess..." Sidon had fought Octoroks and the Divine Beast Vah Ruta but nothing was as terrifying and nerve racking as watching Link battle a Lynel. 

"My Prince!" A Zora soldier- the one from earlier- quickly ran over to the wheezing prince. "Shall I help you back to your room? Shall I seek some medical attention?" Sidon shook his head and waved the soldier's helping hand away.

"Thank you, my dear, but I am fine..." Inhaling deeply, Sidon attempted to compose himself. He fixed his posture and stood tall. His heart was still racing but at least he wasn't gasping for air like before. "Please, do me a favor and inform the King that I wish to see him. No, tell the King I _demand_ to see him at once." The Zora soldier nodded and hurried off. However she didn't need to go very far. A second later Link came sprinting in. He ran into the the poor Zora, smearing a mixture of his and the Lynel's blood on her, apologized quickly and scrambled to Sidon.

"Oh Hylia, Link you're dying!" Link looked confused, very confused. He tilted his head at Sidon. Sidon of course, meant that Link was bleeding a bit too much for comfort and it looked like his injuries were fatal. However Link seemed just fine despite these dangerous looking injuries. "Oh Goddess...come, come this way." Sidon practically dragged the Hylian into his room (thankfully his nearly finished gift was put away and out of sight) to try to find perhaps fairy tonic to try to fix Link up. "Sit here." Sidon pointed to his bed and began digging through various cabinets. It wasn't long before Link began to notice the immense lack of blood in his body and how Sidon was probably right to worry, however Link didn't really think much of his current state. He laid himself down, closed his eyes, and relaxed. For just a moment his body let go. In that moment a pale blue light enshrouded the Hylian King and Mipha's soft voice rang out that it was her pleasure. A split second later and Link was fully healed and felt like he had energy to spare.

Sidon paused for a second. Hearing his sister's soothingly familiar voice always made him sad inside. He didn't believe he would ever get used to hearing it no matter how many times Link was saved from the brink of death from her healing gift. The Zora Prince put a stop to what he was doing and turned around. Link was sitting there with his wounds all healed and blood gone. A nice grin was plastered on his face as he looked at Sidon with pure excitement. Clasped in his hands was the same Ocarina he was proudly displaying earlier. 

"Ah, I see your trip to the Temple of Time proved itself to be worthy." Sidon spoke softly. "You have found the seemingly lost ancient instrument." Link shook his head rapidly, a grin still on his face. He set the ocarina aside to explain himself as Sidon slowly seated himself besides his friend.

_"No, I couldn't find the Ocarina at all. There was no secret doors or anything so I started thinking, maybe to access that room I needed one of my own! So I made one!"_ Sidon looked over to the instrument again and noticed things he hadn't before. For one, this one was a nice shade of wooden brown instead of the royal blue ocarina they had seen in the book. This ocarina was also a bit...rough around the edges. It wasn't smooth and clearly was made by someone not too experienced with carving. _"Once I made it I tried to play the song the book had but nothing happened."_

"Is this why you took so long to return?" Link shook his head once more.

_"No. For some reason I felt too...at home in the Temple with this in my hands. I stayed up and played the song for hours and something just felt so right."_ Sidon nodded, not quite sure what Link meant but he somewhat understood. _"After a while I began thinking of myself and eventually you. I don't know why or how but while playing the ancient song in the book I managed to completely blow that off and created something new. I've dedicated it to you since you were on my mind at the time."_ Sidon felt his cheeks flush just a bit and his eyes widen. _"Maybe one day I'll play it for you. Once it's finished."_ Link stood and stretched, completely oblivious to the blushing Zora. 

_"Oh!"_ Link resumed signing, this time with one hand so he could use the other to pull out whatever it was he was reaching for in his too-small pouch attacked to his hip. _"That Lynel was also for you. Not the actual monster but the goods you can scavenge from it once you defeat it."_ He pulled out a diamond, a star fragment, and pieces of the actual beast including its oddly colored insides (ew). Link smiled widely at Sidon who simply stared down at the loot in his hands before looking back up at Link. _"I'm going out to apologize to the soldiers and Castle Town. I'll see you at dinner though- I'll ask the kitchen staff to prepare your favorite meal."_ Link walked out of Sidon's room with his ocarina and left the poor shark prince alone with the nice though admittedly gross gifts. However one thing in the small pile of treasure caught Sidon's eye. He gently pushed aside the diamond and Lynel horn to reveal what was hidden underneath; a beautiful blue nightshade. What? Lynels don't drop flowers. Why was it in the pile of gifts given to Sidon? Unless...Link had scavenged for one on Hyrule Field. Oh no, he was blushing again.

As he stared down at the gifts given to him Sidon's face only reddened even more. The fact that Link had gone out of his way to gather some pretty unusual gifts, created a song on a replica of an ancient instrument, and just flat  out thought about Sidon when he was off on an adventure for _himself_ only assured Sidon that he was most certainly the one for him. With a surge of motivation Sidon stood and pulled out the nearly completed gift. It _would_ be done and whatever would happen between the two of them would be up to the Goddesses.


	18. Hyrule Historia: Part III

"They say that after the Hero of Time left to find a friend he had lost, he accidentally stumbled upon a land not a part of this world but made entirely in the mind of evil. Not much is known about this land or the evil the Hero of Time had to face given that it was on an entirely different plane of existence but the Oracles have called this land Termina." Sidon turned the page of the ancient book as Link listened intently. As usual, Link was leaning against the Zora Prince. His eyes were closed and he was at ease. It was nice listening to Sidon read, Link thought his voice was very...soothing. Comforting? Whatever it was Link liked listening to it.

"The evil was said to be placed in a mask shaped like a heart with two vibrant yellow eyes that glowed when it expelled its horrendous magic. They say the mask, Majora's Mask it was called, was powerless on its own but with a vessel it was something to be feared. Unfortunately for the Hero of Time he had met a forest child who had been possessed by the mask. The wearer then, with the help of the mask, turned the hero into a Deku (said to be an ancient relative of the forest children "Koroks") and took his Ocarina and beloved steed. From there the Hero of Time faced many more challenges. Some of which being turned into several more races of Termina such as a Goron and a...a Zora." Sidon paused for a moment, partly because he could feel Link's discomfort with this Hero and partly because he was somewhat shocked that at one point in time Link had become an actual Zora...technically.

"Shall I continue?" Link hesitated but he nodded. Sidon cleared his throat and continued. "The Oracles described the peril this Hero faced as "something too dark for a child that age, even if he had already fought for life and death". Majora's Mask had the power to possess the good protectors of the different corners of this land and torment its poor inhabitants. The masks the Hero collected (Deku, Zora, Goron, etc.) were described as the faces of the dead. A Deku Scrub who had the caught the heart of the Deku Princess had died so his spirit (and essentially his face) had become a mask for the Hero to wear and transform himself into a Deku Scrub whenever he pleased. This same detail applies to other masks. In the end, the masks were all used to obtain a final mask to stop the moon from falling and killing all of those in Termina. That was Majora's Mask ultimate plan."

Link put his hand on the book, memories of the horrific dream he had the night before his  coronation came flashing into his mind. The poor boy...the poor Hero. His story was the most terrifying he's heard so far, being transported to another realm of existence only to be forced to wear the faces of the dead to stop the moon from killing all those who lived there.

"Shall we head back up the Castle, My King?" Sidon murmured as he placed on hand Link's back. Link shook his head and instead stood up, going back to the shelf. He pulled a black book off the shelf, once the light hit the cover luminous green designs began shining. "Are you sure you want to continue? It's perfectly fine if you wish to stop and take a break, in fact we can break right now and return in a bit to continue if you'd like." Link thought for a moment and nodded. A break could be nice, he hasn't had a snack in a while. "I shall meet you back here in two hours then. Enjoy yourself out there." Link smiled, quickly signing a thank you before he sped up the stairs.

His first stop was, of course, the kitchen. A chef was already in there preparing dinner. Link casually strolled in and sneakily grabbed a fruit pie left on the table closest to the door. In its place he left a silver rupee. With a pie in his hand he walked to his room and began chowing down.

The fruit pie was nice, but the food didn't distract him from the horrible knowledge of knowing the Heroes before him had to endure horrific things. To think that a child,  _a child_ , only went off to find a fairy friend got caught up in the evil plans of a  _mask_. To think that this child had to save everyone in three days and to do that he had to wear the faces of the dead. And that same child was himself. It made Link sick to his stomach.

He began thinking about that Hero again, how his dream had showed him. The mask on him, the way his voice in the dream sounded so horrifying and excited yet scared at the same time. How he was twitching uncontrollably, how he just  _seemed_  unstable. That mask was definitely something to be feared if it could cause so much chaos.

The King of Hyrule set aside the empty plate and shook his head. He wasn't going to dwell on the mask, he didn't want to think about how that Child Hero had probably been traumatized over something as terrifying as Majora's Mask. He attempted to distract himself, eyes darting around the room for any kind of distraction. They landed on the small rusty sword he had hung up.

Link smiled and stood, slowly taking the sword off its plaque and held it tightly. The last time he held that sword it had been when he had recovered a memory of his own, not about Zelda or his duty. Since then he's had no luck in finding areas where he could recall something of his childhood or even himself as a knight. He had even prayed to the Goddesses for more memories! Nothing.

Link stared at the sword for a second, as if expecting it to begin glowing and lead him to another memory. As expected it didn't happen and the Hylian sighed, returning the rusty sword to its place on the wall. Oh well. So much for that theory. As he returned to his bed (hoping to get a little nap in) he heard something...familiar. It sounded like hollow wood hitting each other because of a breeze. It sounded like...trees rustling. Wait, was that a laugh?

It was a Korok.

The Hylian swung his window open and poked his head far outside to try to get a better clue at where the sound was coming from. Luckily for him he didn't have to use too much brainpower because two Koroks dropped out the sky, they were right above Link's window, and onto the Castle's path down below. The two seemed to be running (as much as they could with their incredibly short legs) and this only made Link more curious as to why they were here. Without skipping a beat Link jumped out his window and made an attempt to paraglide over to the two Koroks. A thick, white fog enveloped Link and all he could hear was the taunting laugh of the forest children.

When his feet touched the ground the fog lifted. He was in the Lost Woods 

Link stood still for a second. This seemed a bit too convenient. He was just thinking about how he hadn't regained any of his personal memories and now he's been suddenly transported from Hyrule Castle to the Lost Woods? It felt like the Goddesses were trying to mess with him, just a bit. Nonetheless Link sighed and took out his Sheikah slate to transport instantly to the shrine that rested at the Great Deku Tree's side. Just his luck, the Sheikah slate picked up no sign of any shrine nearby. Looks like he had to walk.

As he attempted to make his way back into the Korok Forest he wondered what kind of memory this would be. A good one like before, or maybe a bad one? Would it have his family? His old friends (if he had any as a child that is)? Would it involve backstory on himself and just himself? Whatever the case may be he was just happy he'd get a piece of himself back.

It took days, hours, minutes to get through the thick fog and trees. The dead and dying trees with the faces carved on them smiled down at Link as he finally reached the small clearing that led straight into the Korok Forest. Link couldn't run fast enough, he nearly tripped over his own feet as he sprinted away from the fog and into the comforting sight of the Koroks playing around with sticks and leaves. 

"Ah, I see you've made it here." The Great Deku Tree spoke softly , a hint of sadness in his voice. Link didn't remember the last time he had visited his ancient friend, he couldn't even remember if he had told him of Zelda's passing but he was sure he knew somehow. "I assumed this ring of light was meant for you." Link nodded as he approached the same glowing light he had seen before, this time it was placed just in front of where the Master Sword stood for a hundred years. "Go on then, I'll be waiting for you to come to." The Hylian nodded again and hesitantly stepped into the glowing circle.

-

_"Go on then, Link."_  Link blinked and looked up to see a man standing next to him, holding his hand. He was a young boy and this man, this man with piercing blue eyes and dirty blond hair, appeared to be his father. Link smiled up at his father and his father smiled back but there was a hint of sadness in the smile. _"Go on, son. The King would like to see you do this one task. He wants to...test something."_

_"Did I do something wrong?"_  Link asked, his own voice surprising himself just a bit. His father chuckled lightly and knelt down, placing both hands on his shoulders. 

_"Not at all. But when you saved the princess the other day he has something he wants to see."_

_"Does it have to do with the triangle on my hand?"_  Link tilted his head and looked down at his right hand. The Triforce glowed dimly on his skin.  _"It's cool, isn't it? The Princess and I have matching ones. The whole Kingdom has this thing on every banner. Does this make me important?"_  His father smiled sadly again and nodded.

_"Yes, very important. But before he says you really are important he needs to test you. Now the test is simple, just get through the forest. There will be someone...special waiting for you at the end. They'll take you back to the castle and I'll be waiting there for you, I promise."_  Link nodded and let go of his father's hand, walking to the edge of the forest.  _"I'll see you soon, Link."_ Link turned around to wave to his father but the fog blocked his vision and he was forced to walk straight ahead where it was a bit clearer.

He was scared but something told him that there was no reason to be afraid, so he swallowed his fear and bravely began walking. The tall trees towered above him and cast spooky shadows on the ground. The air made the thin branches move and creak. For some reason Link heard giggling too...

_"Master, I am here waiting for you."_ Link yelped and turned around. No one was behind him so where did the voice come from?  _"I will guide you to me if you allow me to do so."_

_"Who...Who are you?"_  Link shouted a bit too loud. His tiny hands were balled up into fists as he desperately tried to find the source of the voice. 

_"It is I, Fi. I see you require my assistance to find me."_  He realized the voice came from no where and everywhere at once. He couldn't tell if she was good or bad but from the sound of her monotone voice she only wanted to help him. 

_"Okay, come out and help me!"_ Link grabbed a stick off the floor and held it out like a sword, just in case. 

_"While I can no longer leave the sword,"_  Fi floated into view of the amazed child,  _"I can offer you this projection of how my physical form once looked."_  Link's eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. Fi looked like a ghost, a beautifully monochromatic, nearly transparent ghost.  _"You are not my master yet, but I can sense him it in you so therefore I will call you Master. Please, follow me."_  She floated backwards, keeping her eyes on the child as he followed her.

_"Are you dead?"_  Link asked quietly.

_"While I am living nor dead, I am a spirit."_ The child's eyes widened even more as an excited giggle escaped the hand he had clasped over his mouth.  _"I inhabit a special sword. Your sword."_

_"I have a sword?!"_  Fi nodded, turning to the left. _"That's so cool! I already have a sword but it's made out of wood and kind of useless."_ He followed her as she turned again.  _"Is the sword really mine?"_

_"Yes. Only you can wield it."_ She floated down to the ground, out on the clearing where the fog couldn't touch them.  _"I will be waiting for you just in there, Master."_ Fi pointed to a path that seemed to be leading through a hollowed out tree trunk into another forest. She disappeared and Link was left alone again. 

He followed the path through the hollow tree and into another forest. This one was different than the one he had just been in. Light shone through the leaves of the trees and playful laughter came from every corner. Something in the middle glowed. Link squinted and immediately recognized it as the sword Fi spoke of.

_"Hello there, young one."_ A loud yet gentle voice boomed out as Link got close enough to the sword. The Hylian child jumped in surprise and looked up to see the Great Deku Tree for the very first time.  _"I see you have made your way through the forest. Did someone help you?"_

_"Yes..."_  Link pointed at the sword.  _"She did. She said her name was Fi."_ The Great Deku Tree chuckled.

_"So she did. I suppose I should tell you my name as well. I am the Great Deku Tree and this is the Korok forest. That sword right there is the Master Sword."_  Link repeated the name of the sword in awe, placing a small hand on its handle.

_"Fi said it was mine. Can I take it?"_

_"Yes. In your situation taking it is a must."_ Link stood closer to the sword and placed both hands on its handle.  _"Before you pull it, I must warn you. Pulling this sword means your life may change. I cannot say whether it is for the better or for worse, that is up to you."_

_"Great Deku Tree,"_ Little Link looked up at the gigantic tree in front of him with innocent eyes that knew nothing of what would lay ahead of him once he pulled that sword out of its pedestal,  _"Am I important? The triangle- triforce on my hand is the same as the princess and the spirit lady said that this sword is mine...am I really really important?"_

_"Yes. You are very important. Just like how the heroes before you were important."_ There was more excitement on his face upon hearing those words. _"It is now time for you to claim your weapon, child. I pray to the ancient Goddesses that you receive a fitting reward for what you will do."_

Link didn't struggle when he pulled out the sword. Sure the sword stood taller than Link himself but it felt like pulling a stick out between two rocks. It weighed nothing and Link could've sworn it was floating out of his hand. 

_"Until we meet again, young hero."_  Link looked at the Deku Tree as a holy, golden light covered his view. The light began to fade a moment later and Link gripped the Master Sword tightly. He noticed a certain piece of the Triforce on his hand was glowing nearly as brightly as the light surrounding him. Both lights died down and Link was standing in front of the King, his father, the Princess, and practically the whole royal court. The sword glowed a bright blue and Link held it up triumphantly before he collapsed, all the energy in his small body draining at once.

-

"Welcome back." The Deku Tree smiled warmly. Link looked down to see he was no longer three feet tall. "You were such a unique child, so full of life." The Deku Tree sighed nostalgically. "Often I regret allowing you to pull the sword that day. I could have turned you away and you would be forced to come back another day. Maybe if I had done that you would have lived a pleasant childhood..." 

_"It's fine."_  Link signed with a smile.  _"Whether I pulled the sword that day or five years from then, I never would've had a normal childhood. I'm at peace with that."_

"That truth saddens me." The Koroks began crowding around Link, offering him acorns. He looked pale since he regained his childhood memory. "However, while I do not wish to remember the things you had to endure as a child I am glad it shaped you into the man you are today. You are making a suitable King. I must say I am quite proud of you." Link smiled, taking every single acorn given to him. "I am also glad the Goddesses are giving you an opportunity to remember yourself. And I'm glad you've taken it upon yourself to learn your history as well." 

"It is getting late, I believe you have somewhere to be. You have yet to learn about the Twilight Realm." Link nodded, unhooking the Sheikah Slate from its spot on his hip. He waved a final goodbye to the Great Deku Tree before he selected the tower that resided in Central Hyrule and was transported away in a lazy blue light.


	19. Hyrule Historia: Part IIII

"Dear sister." Sidon sat crossed legged at the area where the bodies of the Champions were buried at the very beginning of Link's journey to be King. "Every day I feel as if I'm forgetting all about you. I hole myself up in my room and work nonstop to finish my very own gift of declaration for Link and I don't stop to think of how you may be faring with this all." He twirled the long grass around his fingers, a soft and sad smile on his face. "I wonder if you've been watching me through Link's eyes, a part of your spirit rests within him so surely you must see me...are you upset? I never meant for these kinds of feelings to surface, you know I am not one to simply fall in love for any Hylian that comes waltzing into the Zora Domain."

"I pray to the ancient Goddesses that you haven't grown angry at me..." He sighed again and rolled his eyes. "What am I saying, of course you aren't. You aren't one to be angry because of something I had no control over. What is wrong with me..." He rubbed his eyes, tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. "It's been so long without you, I can't even remember how forgiving you were. Often I wish...I wish I could see you once in my dreams. I wish the great Goddesses that watch over us would bless me with at least one visit from your spirit." A hand rested on Sidon's shoulder causing the Zora to jump. Link walked out from behind Sidon, his arms and pockets overflowing with acorns. The Hylian offered the Prince an acorn, which Sidon happily took. He smiled at Link with tearful eyes and practically broke down when Link dropped the food in his hands to hug him.

The hug lasted a while, perhaps longer than any normal person would make it. But Sidon was crying and Link didn't ever want to let go of him. The Zora's gigantic head buried into Link's chest (who knew that Sidon sitting crossed-legged and just a bit hunched over would be the same height as Link standing up) and Link soothingly rubbed along the shark tail on his head. After a while Sidon pulled away, sniffling and rubbing the remaining tears away.

"I am sorry you had to see me in such a moment of vulnerability." He said, his voice shaking a bit. "It seems after holding in the tears for so long I have finally broken down. I apologize." Link shook his head, telling him not to apologize. "Yes, well," The Zora cleared his throat and stood up, "Shall we return to the castle? We have more to read." Link shook his head again.

_"You go home."_  Sidon wasn't shocked, he somewhat expected this actually. Link knew when Sidon needed a break and perhaps this was a good time for one. Being home with his father would surely fix him up. He could even spend time looking at old photographs of himself with Mipha.  _"I'll arrange for someone to escort you while you pack up."_  Sidon smiled and gently hugged the Hylian King, murmuring a soft thank you. The two of them broke apart and walked to the castle. Sidon didn't even bother to think if Link had heard of his love for him.

-

_The Twilight Realm was something of a mystery, a frightening mystery. While people understood the inhabitants meant no real harm old legends would remind them that the Twilight was only created out of the greed in peoples hearts and their desire to join the Goddesses and use their power._

Link was reading to himself since Sidon had left home. It would be hard and he would hate every second of it but if it meant Sidon was home and relaxing then he would endure it.

_The Hero of the Twilight's story was one considered to be odd. He was a family-less sheep herder in a town just in the outskirts of Hyrule. He lived alone with his horse (surprisingly enough this was the same horse the Hero of Time had) but had a variety of friends; a group of small children that were all constantly in awe of his swordsmanship, the father of one of these children, and a girl around his age. His adventure began when invaders from the Twilight Realm captured the girl and the young boy, and spread Twilight all over Hyrule. The inhabitants of this world immediately turned into spirits, for those of the light cannot live in the corrupted Twilight, except the Hero. The shard of the Triforce he had transformed him into a Divine Beast, a wolf._

_The transformed Hero was imprisoned but was almost immediately released by the cursed Princess of the Twilight, Midna. She had forcibly given up her throne and was cursed to look like an imp as opposed to her natural beautiful self. With her help the Hero was able to reclaim Hyrule from the corrupted Twilight. Spirits of Light returned the light to Hyrule with the help of the two and places, such as the Zora Domain and Death Mountain, overrun by monsters of Twilight were safe yet again. These same areas also held a dark power that would later be a crucial part of their plot to destroy Ganondorf and the puppet he was controlling, Zant: Twilight Usurper, in order to regain his power._

Link remembered the wolf in his dream. He sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't want to read any more, he didn't want to learn of any more ancestors, he didn't want to know how they suffered or how their friends and loved ones suffered. He wanted to put the book away and forget. Instead Link skipped ahead.

_The Hero of Twilight has claimed he saw the spirit of the late Queen of the Zora, Queen Rutela (who had been executed in front of her own people as a threat to those who considered opposing Zant). It was supposedly she that gave him the Zora armor which her late husband had made for a hero and it was she that also led him to save the young Prince of the Zora, Prince Ralis. Ralis was in a critical condition within the Castle Town's walls and it was Link who escorted his friend, who had no memory of herself or her childhood friend, and a bartender who was a part of an underground Resistance group that worked to make Hyrule a far better place. The Hero of Twilight escorted them all the day to Kakariko village, protecting them from all the evil that stood in there way. Prince Ralis was saved by the Shaman in the village and in return he gifted a coral earring to the hero, a item necessary to continue his quest to find the next missing piece of the mirror of Twilight and save Hyrule._

Damn. Link was hoping for a bit of a happier piece. The Hylian King sighed and, with shaky hands, skipped ahead to the end. The end had to be happier. It was  _the end_  after all.

_With Ganondorf defeated the Four Spirits of Light lifted the curse placed on Midna. The three ventured off to Gerudo desert and Midna bade her farewells to the Hero of Twilight and Princess Zelda. The Twilight Princess proceeded to destroy the Mirror of Twilight, the only connection between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, before disappearing forever. It has been rumored that after that the Hero refused to believe that that was the last connection so he searched the land for another way. He had to be forcibly stopped and returned to his home village by the Princess before he killed himself due to starvation in the desert while looking. He never found another way back and essentially lost a close friend he had made and spent so much time with on his quest._

Okay, that was enough. Link shut the book. No more reading about nearly dying and losing friends, that was enough for today. In fact, that was enough of everything for that day.

He slowly stood up and placed the book on its proper place on the shelf. As he made his way to the door something glimmered in the corner of his eye. Oh Hylia, he said that was enough for the day... Link sighed and turned around, a candle was lit on a small table and what looked like a picture frame seemed to be catching its light. The Hylian King sighed and walked over, gently getting the frame out from behind a stack of boxes which were filled with more books.

The frame was just that but what was behind it was interesting. A small door, half on the wall and half on the floor, with no key hole and instead a handle. Link reached out to open it but something stopped him. It was like Sidon's voice rang out in his head and warned him he wouldn't be able to handle it, not today. Not with everything he's remembered, not with everything he's learned. Link gulped and turned around, walking out the old library. Tomorrow he would explore the new room.

-

"Your highness, your horse is ready." A Gerudo soldier knelt down as Link stepped out his room, yawning. "I have taken it upon myself to feed it as well as, I hope you do not mind." Link yawned again and shrugged, walking down the hall, his new boots clacking against the floor. "I have also taken it upon myself to assign myself as well as a Goron to accompany you, given where you're heading." What? Link tilted his head in confusion. "Last night before you went to bed you proclaimed you were going to head to Goron City, Gerudo Town, and Rito Village. You said you wanted to personally invite certain people to the castle to explore something." Oh right.

_"Thank you for helping with the preparations, could you have a Rito accompany us as well?"_ The soldier nodded and she instructed one of the nearby guards to have an available Rito soldier meet them at the entrance of Castle Town. With that all settled, Link made his way through the castle. Of course him being King, it wasn't like he could have a peaceful stroll through the castle. On his way out he was stopped three times regarding the recent Lynel invasion on areas far too close residential land, the sudden increase of Guardians waking up as people walk past them (they were still scared, even if the Guardians had been proven to be "good" again), and how certain villages could not be rebuilt without the proper funds. Link had solutions to this all of course; have only Goron and Gerudo members of the Royal Guard take care of the Lynels and have them equipped with the proper armor needed to protect them from possible lightning attacks, The Guardians were no threat anymore and if they proved themselves to be a threat again then he would have the surrounding areas evacuated while Robbie took care of it, and he would make some sort of deal with Bludo to have some Gorons mine for the Kingdom and help pay for the rebuilding, perhaps free housing in certain rebuilt villages. Those crowding around Link seemed satisfied with these answers and they dispersed, leaving him alone and only a little stressed.

His horse was a sight for sore eyes. The pure white coat glimmered in the sun and gave Link a pleasant feeling. His horse neighed as Link patted his neck. It had been so long since he's been out for a ride. The Gerudo solider accompanying him mounted her horse while the Goron handled the carriage that would be used for the three guests. His Rito guard patrolled the skies. With a long, content sigh, Link mounted his faithful steed and off they went.

The journey wasn't treacherous but it was long. It took a good several days to even make it to the Gerudo Desert, he couldn't imagine how long it would take it to make two more stops before returning to the castle. Link and his Gerudo Guard, who's name he learned to be Asryn, were the only two to make the journey over to Gerudo town. Link instructed the Rito, who's name was Merth, to fly over to the Rito Village and ask Teba to meet them on their journey to Goron city. The lucky one in this situation was obviously Darm, the Goron, he got to rest at the nearby stable and wait for Link and Asryn to return.

The desert night was cold and unforgiving but Link didn't mind it. He may have been freezing just a bit but he enjoyed every second of it. Besides, things warmed up once they reached the entrance of Gerudo Town. Asryn excused herself and walked in to ask for Chief Riju who was already expecting them. In no time Riju walked out alone, a bag slung over her shoulder. Without questioning her Link smiled and knelt down, bowing his head in respect. The Gerudo Chief returned the gesture with a warm hug and a smile.

Goron City was their next stop and the journey there would be longer than the one to the Gerudo. Riju was patient and was more than happy to talk about her recent experiences as Chief. Somewhere along the way Teba joined them and the three were exchanging thrilling stories of their every day lives. At one point Link joined Riju and Teba in the carriage, allowing Merth to ride his beloved horse.

As expected the journey to Death Mountain was long, it took nearly a week. By the time they arrived they were all too tired to even attempt to make it up the path. Darm offered to go up and retrieve Yunobo while the others slept in the nearby horse stable. When the sun had risen Yunobo was excitedly waiting in the carriage for everyone to wake up.

It was an exciting and lovely ride, Link felt somewhat at home. The laughing and chatter felt comfortable and not at all forced. The nearly instant connections with everyone felt like they had all known each other for their whole lives. No title and no lack of title made things weird, in that small carriage they all felt like an odd little family of warriors.

Finally,  _finally_ , after nearly two and a half weeks they arrived back to Hyrule Castle (Thank Hylia Link was smart enough to assign a group of people Impa trusted to "run the Kingdom"while he was out). Yunobo had never seen the Castle this close and was in awe. Riju squealed in excitement at the thought of being allowed to explore this huge mystery of a building. Teba...Teba kept his somewhat monotone expression but Link knew he was excited to explore Hyrule Castle's hidden secrets as well. The staff had prepared a lavish dinner to welcome the guests and Link back, they even went as far as preparing certain dishes that each one enjoyed. Then, the best part came, a nice long and relaxing night of sleep. Each guest had their own incredibly comfortable room which was arranged to fit their needs. They bade each other a goodnight and went off, the excitement of the day wearing off.

-

"Wake up! Wake up!"

"Wake up, goro! It's time to start the day!" Link groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. "Come on brother! It's a brand new day and we're ready to explore!"

"Link, I will not hesitate to forcibly open this door!" The Hylian King sighed and slowly got out of bed, grabbing a nearby robe to cover his half naked body with before he opened the door. Yunobo and Riju were standing just outside Link's door, excitement in their faces and voices. It was far too early for this. "Come on, hurry up and get dressed so we can eat breakfast and explore!" Riju practically jumped with excitement, Yunobo actually looked like he was jumping. Link nodded and gestured at his clothes before shutting the door. Just outside he heard the two continue the chorus of  _"wake up!"_ , this time to Teba's door.

Breakfast was rather rushed, Riju and Yunobo obviously finished first and kept pestering Link and Teba to eat faster while simultaneously wondering what they would find. Finally, after what felt like forever to the two, Link and Teba finished. Riju practically pulled the chair out from underneath Link as she demanded he take them to the secret room he had mentioned. Link chuckled and happily obliged.

Upon arriving to the ancient library the three guests gasped. Of course they were in awe, it's not very day you get to see books upon books of Hyrule's History just laying around in front of you. Like the other night Link bent down and moved the old and dusty frame to reveal the secret door. Riju squeaked in delight and Yunobo was just now realizing that they'd be heading into dark room underneath the castle, the thought making him lose some excitement.

Link struggled to open the door but he did, it revealing a ladder that went down. Link was, of course, the first one to go down, Teba, Riju, and Yunobo followed in that order. It was dark (as expected) and no one could see anything. Link unsheathed the Master Sword, its faint blue glow giving just enough light for Link to see a Triforce, similar to the one out on on the Sacred Grounds, had been carved onto the floor. He stepped on it and torches all along the room instantly lit up with blue fire. Yunobo yelped and Riju threw her arms out in front of him, the suddenly lit torches surprised her too but she wasn't going to show it. 

"It's just fire you two." Teba sighed and began walking down the long hallway-like room. Riju and Yunobo followed closely behind their older Rito friend.

The room, as said before, was long. The walls were covered in giant portraits of the Previous Princesses, Kings, and Queens. At the very end was a beautifully done portrait of Zelda in her royal gown. Guilt shot through Link as he quickly looked away from the painting. He hadn't thought of Zelda in forever, he didn't want to. He didn't want to be reminded of how he failed her. 

"Link." Riju spoke quietly from the other side. He looked back up and saw Riju's hand on a door handle. When he looked at her her eyes were sad but she knew better than to mention the late Princess.  The King pushed the next door open and, as this room did, torches lit up with blue flames. This room was different, however, instead of portraits of the royal family there were of Link instead.

"This is...creepy." Teba rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the room. Only the left side, it turns out, had portraits of Link and the right seemed to have portraits of different people. "These guys all look like you except...different?" Link nodded, chewing his lower lip as he looked up at the paintings. The first was of the "original Link", the one who had died protecting his home land. It depicted him in his chains, wrists bloody and clothes torn, his expression full of rage. Link looked away and walked down the room.

"Who are these guys, goro?" Yunobo gawked at the portrait of some ancient Goron. Link waved the question away as he looked at some more portraits, this time of the Hero of the Sky. 

"There are books under the paintings." Riju selected a book out from under the very first Link and opened it up. She coughed as the dust from the book rose into the air. "It's written in ancient hylian, I can't read it now but with some time I'm sure I can translate it." She tucked the book under her arm and followed the others. Link didn't stop her from taking it, he didn't want to tell them all he "technically never dies", it'd be weird and he would sound crazy. 

As they continued walking they saw more and more portraits of Link and several others. There were small plaques underneath each one that described who they were and where they were from. At one point Link noticed there were heroes that he hadn't read about. He stopped at the painting of that had what looked like a child Link with an odd bird-looking cap. He flipped through the book, the ancient text not bothering him one bit and realized there were parts of his history he accidentally skipped. He made a mental note to go back and read the sections between The Hero of the Sky and the Hero of time. 

As they walked even more they saw even more strange things. Teba had to stop and do a double take when he saw a portrait of what looked like a young Rito girl except...she looked more like a Hylian with a beak. Teba read the small plaque underneath her and confirmed she was in fact a Rito and an ancient sage. The thing that caught his eye was the small statement underneath.

"Why does it say that it...this Rito girl was a part of 'one of the rips in the fabric of time created by the Hero of Time'?" Teba looked over to Link who was thankfully nearby. After making sure Riju and Yunobo were too distracted by a painting of Nabooru  Link half-explained what the Hero of Time had done. As expected Teba didn't quite believe him but the way Link seemed uncomfortable and somewhat ashamed he seemed to understand. Link then explained that he didn't want to overwhelm everyone with that kind of knowledge or really any knowledge of this room and why there were so many heroes here that looked exactly like him. Teba nodded and walked along, leaving the subject alone.

At the end of the long hallway there was one final portrait of Link. A small memory hit him.

It had been a long day and Link's day just got longer. He had to stand in the same position for hours while the appointed artist painted the picture of himself with the master sword. It wasn't just him that was getting his portrait painted however, the Four Champions were all standing just as still as other artists painted their  portraits. Revali threw Link a somewhat annoyed look as he spoke. Link heard nothing. Urbosa responded to Revali and the two seemed to be going back and forth, eventually Daruk butted in. He couldn't hear any of their voices. The memory faded away and Link was left staring up at the four champions. Sure this seemed small and insignificant but to Link, this was something new that he would cherish.

The others crowded around him and gazed up at the beautifully done paintings of the champions. Daruk mentioned how when Rudania was crawling out of the volcano he had seen Daruk's spirit. Riju had tears in her eyes, as she stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on Urbosa's painting, wishing she had such an opportunity.

-

"I've noticed something." Riju mumbled as she stared up at the night sky from just outside the Sanctum. Once they all finished up in the new rooms they decided to relax  and try to read some of Hyrule's ancient history. Of course with that came the confession that the Goddesses had made Link be reborn to defeat evil time and time again. The reactions were much more casual than what Link expected, which he was grateful for. "While in that room full of paintings of you...I've come to realize you aren't meant for  _this_." She gestured to the crown atop Link's head. 

_"What do you mean?"_  Riju sighed and turned to Link.

"I mean you're meant to be a warrior, that's obvious at this point. The Goddesses have made you into a weapon not a leader. I'm not trying to offend you but this isn't who you are, Link. Now I'm not saying you're a bad King, you're great given the fact that you don't have a single clue what a King does or really how to run a country but...this isn't for you." The Hylian King stayed silent, staring down at the waters below. 

"I understand you had nearly no choice in this and you still feel like you  _have_ to be King but Link, you aren't meant to be one. You don't know how to do...any of this! People..." Riju sighed again and tried to pick her words carefully. "People saw me as a the unqualified Gerudo Chief. They saw me as a young girl and not a leader. It wasn't until I went out and helped appease Vah Naboris and got the Thunder Helm returned to me did my people see me as their true leader. Hyrule...Hyrule sees you as the Champion. As the great Hero that defeated the Calamity. They all already trust you given you saved everyone...they're all expecting greatness from you no matter what. This kind of trust can be dangerous because if you happen to slip up just a tiny bit then you will lose your kingdom forever."

_"What are you trying to say?"_

"I'm trying to say that being a King isn't as easy as you may or may not believe it to be. Being responsible for an entire country isn't easy. You got lucky these past few months, little has gone on and all you really needed to take care of was repairs and trying to get Hyrule back on track. In the future things will get more difficult and more political and with your lack of experience you will crash and burn. You need to take these simpler times to learn about how to run Hyrule. You need to realize that you cannot please everyone. And I know this may be hard for you because you're so used to being all alone and doing things yourself but...you need to learn that you're going to need groups of people behind you to help you make the important decisions." 

Riju yawned and patted Link's shoulder, murmuring a sleepy goodnight as she walked back into the Sanctum and left with the others. 

Link was left alone again. He slid the crown off his head, staring down at it solemnly. Riju was right, he wasn't meant for this life. Even if the Goddesses claimed that he his destiny led up to this, being a King just wasn't in his blood. 

But he would be damned if he at least didn't try to protect and serve the land he loved.


	20. New Zora Traditions

"Ah how I've missed the Domain." Impa breathed in fresh air as Link held onto one of her arms, escorting Impa down the long bridge into Zora's Domain. "It has been quite a long time...over one hundred years since I last visited." She smiled and looked up at the Hylian Champion. "I remember the days the Domain showed off its underwater palace. Ah, such a beauty it was. Not to mention the many handsome Zora folk that would offer to buy me a special Zora helm that would allow me to breath underwater to give me a tour...and flirt with me." The Sheikah elder laughed at the memory of her younger days but left Link in a state of discomfort. After all, Impa was only a few years older than Zelda and he before the Calamity struck and yet she was still picking up Zora suitors left and right. It was just... _weird_. "I must say I'm still surprised you wanted this. I know you're very stubborn about these kinds of things, especially now after being so used to doing things on your own and winging it."

_"Revali winged it and he died."_  Link signed with one hand.  _"After what Riju told me my eyes have been opened. I don't want Hyrule to die because I turned out to be a horrible King."_ Impa hummed in agreement and let go of Link's arm once they were just a few feet away from the entrance to the Domain. She took it all in, smiling contently.  _"You and King Dorephan are the only two that I know that would be willing to give me honest help."_

"I'm glad you can trust us with these things, Link. It shows you really are maturing. You're already on the correct path to becoming a wonderful king." The Sheikah elder walked slowly into the Zora Domain, smiling at its residents. Link had his eyes focused straight ahead. Sidon hasn't come home-  _back to the castle_  yet and he didn't want him to feel like Link's being there was a sign to go back. If Sidon was happy at his home then Link wouldn't ruin that. 

"Mipha..." Impa sighed, pulling Link out of his thoughts. She paused at the statue of the Zora Princess, placing a hand on it and bowing her head in respect. "Such a brave young woman. So full of optimism and courage." Link shifted uncomfortably, not looking up. He hadn't forgotten about Mipha the way he had Zelda. No, she haunted the corners of his mind every time he looked at Sidon and felt love flood his heart. 

Impa made it up the many steps to King Dorephan's throne room without Link helping her. She insisted on doing it herself, like old times. The Zora King was more than happy to see the Sheikah elder after so many years, he ordered a Zora guard to bring a few chairs for herself and Link as well as some kind of refreshment. Impa sat down once the chairs were brought in and Link sat down as well. He was obviously a bit nervous for whatever they would discuss within the next few hours.

"So," The Zora King leaned back in his throne and stared down the King of Hyrule, "you've come for guidance. I must say I am very surprised given your nature. But I am more than happy to help in any way possible. What is it exactly you need help with?" Impa sipped the tea brought to her and looked at Link over the cup, motioning for him to begin. The King stared down at his lap for a minute before he began.

_"I have no clue what I'm doing and I need to know how to be a great King- like you."_ Dorephan laughed at that.

"While that is a rather nice compliment I wouldn't say I'm a great King. No one can be a great king, my son. You must learn this. There will always be one person who sees different." Link looked down again, Imp patted his knee. "But do not fret, I will still help you." The Zora King smiled warmly before he continued. "A King listens to his people. He needs to take the needs of the many and figure out a way to please everyone, or at least enough people. Now being a king isn't just about people. It's about your kingdom as well. You must do what's best for the kingdom as a whole."

"I believe that won't be the hard part for you, Link." Impa set her up down as she spoke. "Your heart and soul belongs to Hyrule. You quite obviously will do anything for the kingdom. The only problem is your lack of skills to put that love to use. Now while you have gotten much done; improved traveling routes, village restoration, growing army and more solid connections with the other four races, but there is more. There is trade, laws, taxes, appointing people who will be qualified enough to handle things you're too busy to handle. There will be the necessity of having to sit and listen to your subjects and speak with an expert team to fix problems. These kinds of things is what you have lacked to do."

"We're not judging you, your highness." King Dorephan butted in once Impa finished. She had left Link feeling just a bit miserable. "We're simply listing the areas you need to improve on. Lucky for you we are gathered here to help you with these things. No matter how long it takes." Link smiled. He was grateful for this opportunity but he dreaded how much time they would spend holed up in there, talking of nothing but Link's bad choices and lack of skills.

-

Finished. It was  _finished_.

Sidon smiled and gazed down at the finished sword and shield. It had taken him a long time but every single minute of he spent hunched over a work table or standing by an expert blacksmith was worth it and only made him more sure of his decision. He would confess his love to Link. He would do it soon. He would follow what was typically a tradition meant for Zora Princesses but he felt like it would still hold its meaning. After all, the tradition began as an act of love, Sidon intended this to be an act of love as well so it wouldn't cause to much of an uproar. Right?

The sword was meant to be somewhat similar to the Master Sword in length but to imitate a Zora sword in design. Sidon used his own sword as a sort of guide but in all honesty the one he made was just a bit shorter and less elegant than expected. That was fine, the fact that he tried his best should make up for its lack of style. While the blade itself was built the same way as any other blade it was the handle that held the weapons true beauty. In center, just above the beautiful blue colored grip, there was glimmering red scale cut into the shape of a diamond. There were two scales placed on either side, each one once belonging to Sidon. Taking out scales was no easy task and taking out two for one weapon wasn't fun (or painless) but the Zora Prince endured it to show his love.

The shield was created to mimic the look of the Royal Guard's shield. It was rather big but it was light. In the center, much like the sword, was a cluster of beautiful red scales (again it wasn't exactly easy getting that many scales out in one sitting) in the shape of a heart. The heart was in the center space of the Triforce, the triangle piece that symbolized courage was painted in red as opposed to the yellow he had used for the other two pieces.

Both items were made to last a long time. Sidon made sure of it. He had to make the journey to visit the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab and strike a bargain with Robbie to somehow infuse some ancient elements into the sword and shield but it was done. Neither the sword nor the shield would break any time soon. And if they did, Sidon prepared for that as well. If, for whatever reason, Link's sword were to shatter or his shield were to break apart into a million pieces, his scales would not break. The scales in the form of a heart would stay in the form of a heart of the shield were to break. Link could easily pick it up and carry it around if he so please. Same thing applied for the scales on the Master Sword. Yes, ancient technology did come in handy for these issues. Now the only problem Sidon had to face was when to give Link these gifts...

"Ah, isn't he so dreamy?" A Zora girl sighed out, fairly close to where Sidon was. He was used to this. The female Zora all longed for the Prince. They lusted after him but alas, they would never get a chance with him. "The way he helped the Prince and saved us- how brave! How courageous!"

"That is  _exactly_  what I look for in a man. He has to be courageous. Not to mention he is the King after all! What a nice little edition to an already perfect package!" Wait,  _what?_  "And to think, he's here today! Talking to our very own King! How lucky must we be to have this privilege! Oh, if only we took advantage of having him here before he became royalty!" Sidon blinked and whipped around in the chair he had been sitting in. Two Zora women were giggling to one another and looked up the stairs to his fathers throne room. Oh Hylia, Link must've been visiting. How could he not have noticed that? Quickly, Sidon covered the finished shield and sword with a small tarp and hurried on out to the foot of the stairs.

He was stopped by the Zora guards, they said his father ordered for  _no one_  to enter until they finished discussing some very important matters. This included Sidon. The Prince sighed and apologized for distracting the guard from his duty and walked back to Dento's workshop. He didn't uncover the gifts he made, what was the point after all? He finished and he knew what they looked like. He didn't have a real need for them right now. What he needed to do was figure out when and where to actually...confess.

Sidon realized he never really thought about that.

An idea struck him. A second later he was walking rapidly throughout the domain looking for Muzu. After questioning a few people Sidon found out that the elder Zora was out on the east reservoir, staring at Vah Ruta as she stood still in the water. He had been doing that more often now that it was safe to approach the Divine Beast. People had claimed to see the elder pray for hours or just sit down and stare at the mechanic wonder. Ever since Mipha's in tact corpse had been...released from Ruta he seemed to be feeling even more like she was gone.

Sidon stood at the top of the stairs that led up to the reservoir. Muzu was silent but seemed too lost in thought to notice Sidon approaching him from behind. It wasn't until the Zora Prince was standing beside the elder and cleared his threat did Muzu notice him.

"Pardon me, my Prince." Muzu sighed and looked at Sidon. "I didn't hear you come. Is there something you needed? Something the King needs?"

"No, no. My father is busy with Link. I need you actually." Muzu nodded and turned his whole body to face Sidon. "I uh, I have several questions regarding the old Zora Princess traditions of presenting armor for her loved one..." Perhaps this topic wasn't the best to discuss with Muzu, not now or ever. But this old Zora knew everything there was to know about it. He knew more than what was written in their historic books! Sidon just prayed that things wouldn't end in a heated argument between the two of them.

As expected Muzu tensed up. His default frown deepened as he nodded for Sidon to continue with his question.

"I was hoping...you could perhaps tell me more about it. I never had the opportunity to experience such a lovely tradition. Was there a sort of special ceremony? Rules? Was there anything that needed to be done?"

"Well..." The Elder Zora scratched his chin as he thought for a moment, trying to recollect what exactly happened. "There is a ceremony. All the Domain and invited guests gathered around as the Princess presented her gift to her lover where he then accepts or denies the gift. If he accepts then the celebration becomes a bit more of a party. Those attending spend the rest of the day and night dancing and celebrating the engagement of the two. If the gift is denied, however, then the celebration is cancelled." Sidon nodded. He was already compiling a list of guests he wished to invite. "As for things that were a "necessity" obviously the Zora armor--"

"Aha! I have a question about that- sorry about the interruption by the way- I was wondering if perhaps...it had to be Zora armor?" Muzu scoffed at the Prince's question.

"Of course it does. If you remember our history correctly the wife of the Zora King added her own scale into the Zora armor which protected him during battle. That is why it is Zora armor! Have you been lacking in your studies, my prince? Has spending so much time in Hyrule Castle with.... _King_  Hyrule distracted you with what's important?"

"No no, I was just wondering... And you know you can still refer to him as Link. To be quite frank, King Hyrule sounds dumb. It doesn't suit him. King Link is even a bit of a stretch..."

"He is the King of Hyrule. I will refer to him as that. Besides, Hyrule is his legal last name since he became King so that's even more of a reason to call him King Hyrule." There were slight undertones of anger in Muzu's voice as he said Link's name and title so many time. Sidon could tell he still wasn't over Link's "failure" from a hundred years ago.

"Right. Well." Sidon cleared his throat and proceeded with his questions. "Has there ever been an instance where no Zora Princesses have been, how do I word it... Has there ever been a point where there were no Zora Princesses? What happens then?"

"Then there was no ceremony. Simple as that." Muzu grunted.

"Right right. Has there...has there ever been a ceremony where a Zora Prince offered a gift to his potential suitor?" Muzu was taken aback by this question and Sidon didn't fully understand why. Sure this was something reserved for the Princesses but for to have such a large reaction to a question like Sidon's that Muzu gasped and stepped back? Sidon just didn't get it.

"No. There never has been and perhaps never will be one. Zora Princes are different in this kind of situation. They simply ask their lover to marry them, the large ceremony is never a part of their asking and neither is creating Zora armor." Sidon nodded and stayed silent, looked down at his feet for a moment. His next question would surely throw him onto thin ice with the Zora elder. He just hoped Muzu was mature enough to not go storming away.

"Muzu, perhaps this time could be different? Perhaps I, the Zora Prince, could do what a Princess would do? Perhaps I could have the lavish ceremony and present my gifts of love to my significant other?" As expected Muzu reacted largely. He gasped once more and made several strange noises, each one sounding more like a drowning duck than the last. There was a point where the older Zora waved his arms around and tried to talk but it came out sounding much more like gibberish than words. Finally after what felt like ages, Muzu calmed down. He took in a deep breath, closed his eyes and composed himself. He stayed silent, thinking of his response long and hard.

"If you so...please to do that then I suppose certain arrangements could be made." Sidon smiled brightly and crouched down to hug the elder Zora tightly, the shark tail on his head wagging happily. Muzu grunted and patted the Prince's back. "I apologize for acting the way I did. I was in shock that such an idea would come from you. I suppose I hold too much emotional attachment to such traditions... but I am...attempting to become more open minded now. So I suppose a new tradition could be made for future generations." Sidon nodded and let go of Muzu. He was too excited to speak. "Of course this would need to get the approval of King Dorephan."

"Yes! Yes that is perfectly acceptable. I am more than certain that my father will approve of this! Thank you Muzu!" Another grunt from Muzu as he nodded and turned to face Vah Ruta once more.

"By the way, who is the lovely woman you're planning on engaging?" Uh oh. Sidon laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, taking a small step backward. This was the part where he prayed to the Goddess Hylia that things would go well.

"Well, they are a lovely person. They make me very happy. And I do hope you can understand my reasoning for...well my feelings." Muzu gave his prince a questioning look as Sidon continued to sputter out nonsense. "And If they make me happy I don't why I cannot marry them."

"My prince, who is it?"

"It's well, Link." Sidon let out a small breath of relief, he finally managed to fully confess his feelings to Link to someone besides a small Goddess statue. He had to admit it felt refreshing. Muzu, however, did not find it refreshing. To him it seemed that  _everywhere_  he turned that...Hylian was there. To Muzu it seemed like every single Zora was falling fin over heels for the new King. No one seemed to get enough of Link and his "unflinching bravery" or what Muzu liked to call, "idiotic recklessness and otherworldly luck."

Now Muzu was faced with a rather big problem. Here was Sidon, Zora Prince, heir of King Dorephan's throne, telling Muzu he wished to engage Link.  _Link_. The one Sidon's  _own sister_ was in love with as well. Link. The one who brought Mipha's Demise (in Muzu's eyes) one hundred years ago. Link. The overrated hero who didn't deserve Prince Sidon's love or share the title of "Zora King". Muzu was prepared to retract his earlier statement, he was about to say that no.  _No_  new tradition would be made.  _No_  Sidon couldn't marry Link.  _No. Sidon couldn't do this_. But as he looked up at the young Prince with anger he saw something he thought he'd never see again. As he looked at Sidon's eyes and face, he saw the absolute excitement at the idea of wedding the one he loved. Muzu recalled sitting with Mipha as she made her Zora armor. She refused to let the name of her potential husband slip, she wanted to surprise everyone. Even as Mipha excitedly explained every single detail of what she wanted he wedding day to be like, even as Mipha would describe her love interest in great detail yet still keep his image vague, she never let the name slip. It wasn't until recently that Muzu discovered the name of her potential husband.

Here was Sidon. Here was the same love and life and happiness in his eyes as he looked at Muzu hopefully. Here was Sidon, brave enough to admit that he was in love with Link even though he knew what Muzu thought of him. Here was Sidon, Prince of the Zora, asking for the chance to be with the one he loved. Muzu wanted to yell and argue and convince his prince that he deserved better. He wanted to say that Link wasn't worthy of him. He couldn't marry Link. He just couldn't. He wanted to demand why Sidon loved the Hylian that failed his sister, the domain, the Kingdom. Why Sidon would even love the same man his sister loved. But Muzu didn't. This wasn't his love, it wasn't his life. He didn't have the same feelings as Sidon. He didn't see Link in the same light Sidon did.

Muzu watched as Vah Ruta lifted her gigantic trunk to leg out a loud trumpet. A small spurt of water escaping but nothing to cause any worry or rain. The Divine Beast sunk back down into the water without another sound. Oh Mipha. How lovely she would've looked on her wedding day, how happy she would've been. Muzu smiled slightly at the thought. The elder looked back at Sidon, the excitement in his face fell just a bit. Perhaps...this was Muzu's second chance. He never had the opportunity to see Mipha happily present her gift, he never had a chance to properly apologize to Link (he had done it after he appeased Vah Ruta but in all honesty, that apology wasn't too meaningful). This could be his chance to see Sidon, who he loved as much as he loved Mipha mind you, be as happy as Mipha would've been. This could be his chance to properly apologize.

"I hope you have a proper gift in mind, Link already has Zora armor and it would be ill-advised to gift him another." Sidon had tears in is eyes. He crouched down again and hugged the Zora elder once more. This time, Muzu hugged him back.

-

_"Well, this has been a rather long and exhausting day."_  Link sighed as he stood from his chair. The meeting with Impa and King Dorephan had finally ended and Link now understand the basics of what he had to do. Yes, he had a long way to go but now he had a much clearer understanding of what it meant to be king.

"Indeed it has." The Zora King yawned. Hylia he was tired, but he had one more meeting after this. Link had arranged for Lady Riju of the Gerudo to meet with Dorephan. Link knew the King wanted his Domain's reach to expand a bit so he had Riju come by so the two races could figure out something that would allow the Zora women to travel to Gerudo Town without dying. "Come back anytime you wish, Your Majesty! My doors are always open for you!" Link smiled and nodded as he helped Impa down the many steps. They passed Riju on the way up, in their small conversation she mentioned she was excited to finally be able to properly speak with Sidon and King Dorephan. Link snapped his fingers, remembering something, and excused himself before he ran back up the steps. 

"Link! What has brought you back here? Did you forget something?" The King smiled warmly down at the Hylian. Link shook his head.

_"I nearly forgot to mention that I plan on courting Sidon. Through days of prayer and hours of having inner arguments with myself I've come to the conclusion that he's the one the Goddesses meant for me and honestly I couldn't be happier about that."_  Link smiled and waved goodbye once more. He quickly jogged back down the steps, leaving King Dorephan in utter shock and confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, this fic is finally coming to an end. There's roughly around five chapters left? Not too sure but just know we're reaching the end!
> 
> Also!!!! Thank you all for the lovely comments! It's what keeps me motivated! Hope you liked this chapter!


	21. Confession

Everything was happening so fast and King Dorephan didn't know what to do. Link had run in at the last moment to proclaim he was going to begin courting Sidon and then left so abruptly that Dorephan couldn't call him back to explain himself. What made it was worse was that the Gerudo Chief walked in as Link left so poor King Dorephan had to compose himself quickly. Now that Lady Riju was gone Sidon came bursting in with Muzu behind him yelling out that he'd like to create a new Zora tradition similar to that of a Zora Princess's but instead with the Prince's as well. He then yelled out that he wanted to marry Link. This was, without a doubt, the most confusing day for the Zora King.

Sidon stood tall and proud in front of his father, waiting for a response. Every second he didn't get one his confidence depleted slightly. The King only stared at his son with wide eyes.

"Father, I do not mean to disgrace our people in any way. I do not want to ruin old traditions or muddy up Mipha's good name with this. I cannot control where my love lies and I never meant it to fall on Link. Although looking back my feelings began to stir when he and I defeated Vah Ruta... In any case I never meant for this to happen. I'm not trying to upset Mipha's resting spirit with this and in all honesty I do not believe she would be upset. As for the traditions I just believe Zora Prince's should be allowed to express their love the same way! Muzu agrees with me!" King Dorephan looked over at Muzu questioningly who nodded slightly.

"Sidon..." King Dorephan sighed, "I do not know what you and Link are planning to do. I mean, I understand if the two you have feelings for one another but both of you proclaiming that in one day! And confessing separately to give me more surprise than if you were to do it together... At least yours was more formal than his...he just ran in here and announced that he would begin courting you!"

Sidon felt like someone just greeted him warmly only to punch him in the gut and have all the wind knocked out of him. His eyes were wide and his pupils turned into thinner slits than usual. His mouth was agape as he stared up at his father silently. He had no idea how to respond to what he just heard.

"Son? What's the matter. It almost seems as if you didn't know Link felt that way for you!" King Dorephan laughed but stopped once he noticed Sidon had the exact same expression on his face. "Wait a minute, you didn't know?"

"I was under the impression you knew as well." Muzu spoke up, looking at Sidon. "Well, I guess I sort of assumed since you asked to create an entirely new tradition to engage the King. I suppose I figured you would ask if you two were already in some sort of romantic relationship but this? No offense, my prince, but planning to wed someone without knowing if they share those same feelings...well it's just plain stupid." Sidon still said nothing.The shock was still trying to settle in. "Sir, I think something is wrong with your son." Muzu waved his hand in front of Sidon's face, tilting his head. "He doesn't seem to be responding to anything."

"I'm sure he's fine...he's just in a bit of shock is all. Could someone please escort Sidon to his room? I'm afraid he needs to rest up. And I suppose we have some things to discuss regarding...whatever new thing he wants to try." A couple of nearby guards answered their King's call and gently led the Zora Prince to his room in the Zora's underwater palace. It wasn't until Sidon was left alone in his room did he finally come to.

Tears brimmed his eyes but since he was underwater they simple intermingled with the water around him. He was blushing like mad and laughing like crazy. It felt like an immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Things would get better and easier for Sidon from then on, he felt it.

But oh, how wrong he was.

The Zora Prince returned to Hyrule Castle the very next day. He was excited to finally be reunited with Link after so long. There was a certain air of anxiousness though, throughout his entire trip Sidon continued to come up with preposterous scenarios where Link didn't mean courting as in he was confessing his feelings but courting as some other arbitrary thing. It was silly to think that way but Sidon couldn't help it. He just couldn't believe that this was finally happening! 

"Welcome back, my Prince." A new Zora soldier knelt down in front of Sidon as he stepped out his carriage. "I trust your trip from Zora's Domain went well?" Sidon nodded, waiting for another couple of soldiers to unpack his belongings. "Excellent."

"Yes, yes. I assume someone received my message? I wish to see the King immediately." The Zora Prince began walking rather fast through the gate that led to Castle Town. The poor Zora guard had to jog to catch up to him.

"My apologies my Prince! He is unavailable until further notice!" Sidon stopped and looked back at the guard. "We're sorry for the inconvenience...by the time we received the message he had already made plans... Again, we're terribly sorry." Sidon shook his head and continued walking up to the Castle.

"No need to apologize. It isn't your fault. What is he doing if I may ask?" 

"I'm not too sure to be honest. Sign Language isn't something that I really understand...from what I did understand he is making plans to provide funds for the Ancient Tech labs in Akkala and Hateno as well as meeting with Goron representatives about mining for the Kingdom and...I'm not sure if he said he was going to test those who wanted to join the Royal Guard by fighting monsters or by fighting him...either way the new members of the Royal Guard will be tested with some sort of combat trial." The second one sounded more probable. Sidon thanked the Zora soldier and entered the Castle. 

His nerves were still jumbling around and he was pretty sure the two guards leading him to his room noticed this. Sidon practically ran into his room once the door was opened for him. Goddess he was happy to be back. He really did miss the Castle. He missed hearing Link scuttle around at night in his room and try his best to be as silent as possible as he practiced his sword fighting. He missed taking nice strolls through Castle town and seeing the kids gaze in amazement at how tall he was (he didn't think he was  _that_ tall but the kids believed he was as tall as a Hinox).  He just missed life at the Castle.

Everything in his room was just as he left it. The blue nightshade given to him by Link was still alive and as beautiful as the day he got it. The several monster parts he had also received still seemed...well. The glass box they were put in seemed to intact so that lifted Sidon's worry that somehow the monster parts would try to escape (silly but Lynels are terrifying creatures that are capable of anything!). 

Sidon thanked the guards when they brought him his luggage and thanked them again once they promised to let the Zora Prince know when Link was finished. Finally, Sidon was left alone. He sighed as he settled into his bed, letting out a nice relaxed sigh. He seemed calm on the outside but on the inside he was as nervous as ever! He hoped it fade away once he and Link had a chance to talk.

It didn't.

Sidon was a nervous wreck when he asked Link to meet him in the secret library that held the secrets to Link's extensive past. The two of them spent a lot of time together in that room, Sidon thought it appropriate to have a conversation as important as that in there. Plus there was the knowledge that no one would accidentally walk in and interrupt. 

When Link walked in wearing his royal outfit and tired eyes with a big grin, Sidon nearly threw up. Normally the Zora Prince was a composed fellow, always confident in what he had to say or do. Hardly showed any signs of fear or nervousness. Not today. Before Link could even sign a simple hello Sidon blurted out that his father told him what Link said about courting and he was planning on presenting Link certain gifts as a sign of his love. Neither one said- or signed- anything for a bit. Link was caught off guard and confused for a moment but he smiled, took a giant hand in his own smaller one, and gave him reassuring pat. 

The small gesture wasn't really much but for Sidon it was the tip of the iceberg. Tears welled up in his eyes and this time they streamed down his cheeks. A happy smiled spread across both their faces as they embraced (Sidon had to crouch down so Link could hug him properly). Both of them stayed like that for a while, enjoying one another's presence. Link was the first to let go but he still held onto Sidon's hand tightly. 

"Sorry for not telling you this sooner, my love. I'm not the best with any sort of romantic problems, especially not my own." Link scoffed.

_"I hate to be the bearer of bad news Sidon, but I have to admit you made your feelings a bit obvious. Not that I'm complaining, I enjoyed it."_  Link winked and Sidon rolled his eyes a bit, blushing lightly. He supposed he  _did_ make it a little obvious, at one point he practically confessed his love to Link. Ah well. In the end it only helped Sidon gain the love of the one he loved most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting closer to the end you guys. Are you guys ready? I'm not!   
> I know I said there would be around five chapters left on the last chapter but now I'm thinking that there's around 3-6 at this point. Sorry for changing it! also I know this chapter is kind of short but that's because the next one is SUPER LONG!
> 
> Other thing is! I'm working on a Revali/Link fic as well! I'll release the first chapter soon and i'll link it in the notes in the next chapter of this fic! That's about it, I hope you're enjoying this fic and this chapter! See you all next time!


	22. Visions

Sidon supposed that now that Link and he were officially aware of their love for one another things would be easier. It wasn't for either of them. Link was still Link and the constant worry that he was worthless and a horrible leader and hero was as present as before. His nightmares would still show the same heroes of his past always telling him the exact same thing. However he did the healthy thing this time around and tried to explain his feelings to Sidon instead of bottling them up and trying to forget them like before. A nice long talk with Sidon always had Link feeling a bit better than ever and made him more confident. Sidon was always good at making Link feel like a million rupees.

Sidon was beginning to doubt himself, however. Every time Link woke up in the middle of the night frantically looking out the window to stare up at the sky, every time Link would space out as Sidon read about a different Hero, every time Link would sit in his throne and look absolutely miserable or every time Link stare at the Master Sword with tears brimming his eyes, Sidon would be there. He would always help Link regain his confidence in himself as he'd offer up every single compliment he had. Sidon would always, without fail, lift Link's spirits. This is what scared the Zora Prince. Before they had officially begun planning the new ceremony of a Zora Prince offering gifts to his loved one, Sidon had confidence in himself that he could always make  _Link_  confident in himself. Now he began doubting that. What if one day when Link is feeling miserable he just can't lift the Hylian's Spirits? What if the compliments that leave his lips turn stale and Link is forever stuck in that pit of despair?

No. No that wouldn't happen. Sidon was sure of it. He had brought his problems to Link and Link immediately shot that down. No way Sidon would ever fail to make Link happy. The Hylian King made it very clear that Sidon was perhaps the one person that managed to keep him happy after so many discouraging events. But Sidon couldn't help but believe that maybe he was wrong. Maybe he would eventually lose his magic touch. When those thoughts began filling his head others joined in as well. What if Sidon wasn't the one meant for Link? What if it was perhaps Zelda? Hyrule's History has made it very clear that the Princess and the Knight are meant to be. Maybe Link is just too lonely to admit he doesn't love Sidon in that way. Maybe he doesn't want to lose a friend like that. Maybe Sidon doesn't deserve Link.

Those thoughts were disgusting and Sidon was disgusted with himself for thinking such horrible things but he couldn't help it. As he and Link would sit on the floor in the secret library, compiling a list of guests for the ceremony he couldn't help but think that Link didn't want this. After months of planning and preparation for the ceremony it was rapidly approaching and Sidon's doubt only grew. Just a week before the event he had enough.

"Excuse me," Sidon stopped a soldier strolling through the castle hallway, "I would like five- no, six. I would like six available members of the Royal Guard ready to escort me to the Faron Region. Make sure  _none_  of them are Zora and make sure  _all_  of them are very well prepared for possible lightning. Most importantly, if the King asks what it is that's going on simply tell him I'm leaving on business. No need to cause needless worry." The solider nodded and hurried off to find the needed Royal Guardsman that Sidon needed.

The Zora Prince admitted to himself that this was a bit reckless and dangerous but he needed answers and some kind of comfort. The Spring of Courage, where the Goddess of Courage stayed, was where he was heading. Why this specific spring to pray in? It was obvious, he had questions about Link and himself. Who better to ask than the Goddess responsible for Link's divine courage? Hopefully he would actually get some sort of answer as opposed to the silence he always received from the Goddess statue in the Zora's Domain.

He snuck into Link's room and quickly opened up his closet. Goddess, Link had so many outfits and accessories. Climbing outfit, fireproof outfit, his Vai outfit, Zora armor, some sort of dark outfit that had a mask of his face and so much more. Sidon didn't know anyone else that had as many clothes as Link. Finally after opening some small drawers Sidon found the topaz earrings he was looking for. It wouldn't protect him too much but it'd be good enough. He clipped the earrings to his neck jewelry (the closer to his head the better) and walked out. He was ready.

-

Sidon had left Link a note saying he was leaving out on business and he would return as soon as possible. He fully intended on returning before the ceremony and had his escorts run the horses at top speed. Sidon felt bad but he was going to make it up to the poor animals once they returned to Hyrule Castle. A nice long break and a barrel full of apples is what Sidon learned Link felt to be an appropriate reward for the horse's hard work. Perhaps a nice basket of carrots as well.

They arrived at the spring two days after leaving. Sidon was surprised at how fast they got there but when you travel nonstop it was possible. The Royal Guard had managed to take down every enemy in their path and were currently scouting the area just in case. Sidon stepped out of his carriage and looked to the ancient spring. Light shined on the old Goddess statue, giving it a rather holy look. He gulped and walked down the stone path into the water and to the statue. The Zora Prince knelt down in front of the statue and shut his eyes tightly. This was it.

"O great Goddess Farore, Goddess of Courage, I come before you as a lost soul. My mind has been corrupted and I need your great guidance to show me the light once more." Silence. Sidon gulped and continued. "Link, the hero chosen by the Goddess Hylia, is the one I have been longing to...marry. However is it fate? Do you and the other Goddesses give your blessing to this marriage? Does..." Sidon stared down at his reflection in the crystal clear water and sighed. "Does my dear sister give her blessing? Is she up there with you all in the Sacred Realm? Is she happy, I wonder. Is she upset? Does she loathe me for what I am doing? Am I even the one for Link? Perhaps you have different plans for the Hero of Hyrule..."

_"Prince of the Zora People..."_  an angelic voice rang out. Sidon jumped and looked around. The voice seemed to be coming from no where yet everywhere all at once.  _"Your prayers have been heard. Answers shall be given. I, Farore, will give you what you seek."_  The ground rumbled and the wind picks up a great deal. Something nearby roared loudly and before Sidon knew it he saw the great dragon Farosh flying out of the sky. He had only seen Farosh once before, when Link was carried to Zora's Domain by the dragon itself, and he was as terrified this time as he was the last.  _"No real harm shall be done to you, Zora Prince."_ What? Sidon was about to question what that meant but a lightning ball struck him, throwing him into unconsciousness.

-

_"The Hero of the Wild has gone through many hardships."_  A loud distorted voice rang out. Sidon couldn't see anything other than himself. Everything around him was pitch black.  _"However, a hero cannot be a hero without enduring pain and proving he is worthy of the courage we granted him."_ Sidon blinked and upon opening his eyes the darkness changed to something a bit scarier. He was at Fort Hateno on that fateful night over a hundred years ago. Fire, guardians, weapons, bodies all around him. Sidon couldn't look anywhere without being horrified. Then he saw him: Link. He was quite obviously already ready to collapse and die but he fought bravely, defending the still living Princess Zelda. Sidon couldn't move or speak but, oh, how he wanted to run over and throw himself in between that guardian and his Hylian love.

_"Your doubts are justified and we will offer you a choice, Zora Prince."_  The scene changed at Sidon was back in the dark nothingness.  _"Given how different the circumstances are with this hero's life and how much more involved we have become in his life we are allowing you to choose your fate with him as opposed to the one we had already planned. You believe you are not worthy of this hero's affection, you believe this hero would be better off without you. We will show you how this hero has been handling and coping with the life we have given him then you can decide for yourself whether or not this hero needs you in his life."_ Sidon gulped but nodded. He supposed the Goddesses were answering his prayers but they didn't have to be so...creepy and mysterious about it. Sidon would've been fine with with a simple answer...

The darkness changed and Sidon was standing besides Link. He tore his eyes away from the Hylian only to see a sight much more painful. Mipha's spirit stood in front of Link, floating just above the water gracefully. Oh, they were in Vah Ruta. Link looked he was about to cry and Sidon couldn't tell if it was from the many open wounds he had or from seeing Mipha. The late Zora Princess took a few steps forward and blessed Link with her healing power, within a second he was healed but the tears were still there. Link took a few small steps forward and reached out to her hesitantly but light enveloped him and before he knew it he was being removed from the Divine Beast. 

As Sidon watched himself take Link's hands in his own and thank him in front of the many other Zora he noticed the smallest hint of guilt in the Hylian's eyes. Sidon didn't know how he missed it before. The scene changed and now it was dark. Sidon and Link were standing in front of Mipha's statue and Link was hesitantly signing out what he saw in Vah Ruta to Sidon. Sidon saw his own features change as Link explained to him what he saw, but then the other Sidon waved the worry and guilt away and reassured Link that nothing that had happened to Mipha was his fault. Mipha held no ill will and neither would Sidon and his father. Link smiled.

The scene changed and Sidon saw several things seemingly at once. Link was fighting, fighting for his life and the lives of the dead Champions. In one second Sidon saw Link deliver the final blow to the terrible monster that haunted Vah Medoh. In another second Sidon saw Link being cornered to the very edge of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, one single push and he'd be ashes. In another second Sidon saw Link sprinting as fast as he could to avoid lightning strikes. He wasn't fast enough and he was hit. 

The scene changed again and Sidon was seeing many things at once yet again. Link fighting (and losing) a fight against a Lynel, which Sidon recognized as the one on Ploymous Mountain. Then he was being chased by two Guardians, both shooting lasers that just barely missed him. Next was Link collapsing in the snow, Sidon couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or from starvation. Sidon was shown more scenes where Link was attacking or being attacked, shown points in Link's life where he was on the brink of death but he continued to fight. Sidon understood that the Hylian Champion had a tough journey but  _oh my goddess_ , this was horrible. He stared in horror at everything thing he was shown, he couldn't close his eyes or run away. All he could do was watch.

_"The Hero of the Wild has faced many challenging tasks as he worked to free the spirits of those piloting the Divine Beasts as well as protecting those living in Hyrule and regaining his own memories."_  In the darkness an ear piercing roar echoed. The darkness rippled and suddenly a giant and horribly grotesque beast was in front of him. Link was jumping around and avoiding all kinds of attacks, his eyes were fierce and the grip on his sword could break a bone with how tight it was.  _"This time around, the evil that haunts your world was stronger and more unstable than before. However the hero handled him well."_ The scene changed again and Sidon was right in the middle of Hyrule field where another giant monster was running wild. _"It wasn't until the one with the Goddess blood sealed the evil away did his true challenges start."_ Link seemed to be flying in the air as he shot one brilliantly golden arrow to the horrible beast. Zelda appeared and sealed the Calamity that tortured Hyrule for a century away. It was done. 

_"Certain risks were taken with how Ganon would be dealt with this time around and sadly, more lives were lost than necessary."_  Link was holding onto Zelda as she spoke and tried to climb onto his horse. He was crying and shaking his head, denying what he knew would happen.  _"We are not cruel Goddesses, we never intended for things to unfold the way they did, however certain things were inevitable. However we do try to fix the problems we have caused. This is why you are a part of this hero's life."_

"So...you're saying I was only put here on this earth for him?" Sidon whispered as he saw Link break down after learning of Zelda's passing. 

_"While we have placed the chosen hero on this earth for a reason along with the Princess, that is not the case for you. We have all made it so your fates are intertwined but your true goal in life isn't simply being there for the hero. As said, we are not cruel. We would not force such a thing on anyone who didn't want this."_  The scene changed and Sidon saw himself with Link in Hyrule Castle's secret library. _"Our intention for you was to be there as a friend for Link, the feelings you have developed for him are entirely your own the way the feelings of the others we have assigned to the hero was their own."_

"You've done this before then? Had people be there for Link?" More people appeared, Sidon recognized them as the previous heroes of Hyrule. One of the heroes had a fairy with him, another had a girl who looked vaguely like Princess Zelda, another had two people; a girl with short hair but most definitely wasn't a princess and a...weird goblin looking woman with orange hair and strange, luminescent green markings all over her body. Heroes who Sidon had never seen before appeared next. A young boy with a conductor's baton in hand stood next to what looked like his younger sister and a pirate girl, now a group of boys (three of them to be precise) with multicolored hair stood arm in arm, next to that group of boys was  _another_ group (of four this time) locked arm in arm as well, finally a boy sitting in an orchard of apple trees with the princess at his side.

_"We've made mistakes in the past regarding the hero, for a long time we saw him as a weapon and only a weapon for our own."_ The heroes and their loved ones vanished and were replaced by a small boy on a horse in the woods. staring up at something in the sky. Sidon took a moment to to recognize the thing was, in fact, the evil mask that tried to kill everyone with the moon.  _"We never knew that us not stepping in would...cause disaster for the one we needed the most."_ The boy was replaced with a gruesome looking zombie wearing destroyed armor and covered in vines.  _"The Hero of Time. He was forgotten by Hyrule and all those he loved. He was a young boy when he set out to defeat Ganondorf, when he warmed the Princess of Ganon's plans he set out to find the fairy he had become close with. However all those who knew him and of his victory had erased him from their minds. He was alone and  when he died he stayed on this earth as a spirit to train the next hero, The Hero of Twilight, to become unforgettable so he would not have to live a life as lonely as the one of his ancestor."_  

_"Long ago when the Goddess Hylia fought alongside the Chosen Hero she made a silent promise to make sure no one would forget of his heroism. We three have tried our hardest to keep that promise as he is reborn time and time again but even Goddesses are not perfect."_  Sidon looked down at his feet, unsure of what to say.  _"Dear child, although we will not try to force you to stay in the fate we hoped you'd follow, we will say one thing: the Hero of the Wild is not as fortunate as the ones before him. He has no family, his closest friends have perished, and he knows nothing of himself. However through the many hardships he has faced, the courage he has has kept him going and the love he shares for this land its people have made him strong. However these things have taken him only so far. Zora Prince, had it not been for your never ending support in his battles and your unconditional love for this hero he would have never had the true strength to finish off the Calamity. Had it not been for the Hero of the Wind's friendship with the legendary pirate and secret Princess then Ganondort would have of plunged his home into despair. Had it not been for the Hero of Twilight's friendship with the Princess of the Twili and his love for a childhood friend then Hyrule would've been corrupted by the shadows. Had it not been for The Chosen Hero's love of his land and Hylia's love of him then none of this- of any of you- would be here. Do you understand, Zora Prince?"_

Sidon let out a deep sigh. At the moment he was more confused than when he first arrived at the Spring of Courage. When he asked the Goddess for advice on whether or not he was the one for Link. Now the Goddess (Goddesses?) were telling him he had a choice in whether or not he'd stay with Link as fate had intended. Yeah, Sidon was as confused ever. 

There was silence as Sidon tried to figure out the things the Goddesses had presented him with. They showed him how Link had fought bravely and how he had been thrown into his life as a King. They showed him a select few times where the two of them were together. They explained how every hero has the same doubts and issues and every time there is someone there to care for him. In this case Sidon was that person but his feelings were his own and not artificial ones placed in him by the Goddesses (this was where most of his confusion came from). He didn't understand whether the Goddesses were implying if his friendship was real or his love for Link was real...

Oh, it seemed they had answered his prayers. 

Sidon asked for clarification on whether or not he was right for Link, whether or not the Goddesses had different plans for him. Through some rather complicated visuals and explanations they showed Sidon what he wanted. They showed him an answer that Sidon already knew was the right one but he just needed some sort of confirmation. The Zora Prince smiled slightly and looked up, although there was nothing and no one around, he still smiled.

"I thank you all for helping me. Had it not been for your clarification I...I would have made a very bad decision. Thanks to you all I can live the life I was obviously meant for."

_"Our job is not finished. We intend on answering all of your prayers."_  Sidon tilted his head in confusion and then remembered. 

_Mipha._

He was standing on Divine Beast Vah Ruta's trunk, looking over to Zora's Domain. Sidon didn't know what he was doing there. 

"Hello Sidon." It was like a spear had pierced his heart. The soft and gentle voice came from behind him and tears instantly blurred his vision. Sidon turned around slowly to see his sister standing there. She was just as he remembered her. She smiled as Sidon began sobbing like a small child. When he hugged her she giggled and told him it was alright, no need for tears. She soothed him, humming an old lullaby Sidon hadn't heard in a hundred years. The Zora Prince was crouched over and sobbing into his sister's chest, blubbering out incoherent words but he didn't care. All he cared about was seeing her again.

"It's been quite some time, I know. My, how big you've gotten. You must tower over nearly every Zora." Mipha spoke softly when Sidon finally began to calm down, he was kneeling and hunched over so he could properly hug her. "I'm glad the Goddesses have granted us this time together. I've missed you and father since the day I died." Sidon whimpered and tried to respond but couldn't form the words. "I'm quite proud of you, you know. You helped appease Ruta! You were unstoppable in the water!" Sidon smiled and let go of her slightly to look up at her face. "You're going to make an excellent King one day." 

"Th-Thank you...Mipha." Sidon's voice was shaky and was threatened to be cut off by another round of sobbing. He stood slowly, no longer hugging her but he held onto her hands tightly. "I've missed you too. Everyone has...Muzu still isn't over it in fact." Mipha nodded grimly. "But he is learning...to be less spiteful towards Link...he's not blaming him for your death at least." 

"That's good, I'm glad things are working out." Mipha smiled warmly and Sidon felt like crying again. "Speaking of Link, I believe your proposal in a week or so, correct?" Sidon looked away in shame and nodded. "How exciting! I'm actually surprised Muzu allowed you to create a new tradition, he's always too attached to the old Zora way but to be quite honest I didn't like the fact that they excluded the princes. It didn't seem fair at all." Sidon nodded, staying silent. Mipha frowned and took a step into his line of vision. "I understand that you  may feel like I'm upset at you for this but believe me when I say I'm not."

"I know...but dear sister he is the one your heart belonged to...he is your childhood friend. He was supposed to be the one you married once the Calamity was defeated and here I am planning on marrying him and disgracing you."

"The only one disgracing me right now is that mindset you have. Sidon while I am upset that I will never live the life I wanted I am glad Link has found someone who he trusts enough to open up to in such ways he wouldn't with me. I'm glad you found someone who will always be by your side and protect you from anything, even if that anything is your own thoughts."

They spent the rest of their time together talking, reminiscing. Sidon cried a total of twenty times throughout his time with Mipha and Mipha would comfort him every time. Mipha talked about her time in the afterlife, how much time she's spent with the other champions. Sidon talked about his adventures with Link. When Sidon's time was done he gave Mipha one tight hug and whispered how much he loved her. When he opened his eyes Sidon was lying on the ground and staring up at the sky. All he heard was ringing but he saw the Royal Guards from earlier screaming at one another and trying to get him to stand up. He turned his head to the side to look at the smiling Goddess statue and whispered out a quiet thank you.

- 

_"Where did you go?"_  Link was signing frantically as Sidon slowly walked through the Castle Town. He knew the Goddess said he would be in no real pain or harm or whatever from the electricity but falling onto the stone ground did hurt.  _"I've been worried sick and now I'm hearing that you got hurt. What happened?"_  Sidon tried to wave Link's worry aside but Link persisted.  _"What happened? I deserve to know."_

"Oh nothing much. I just made a small trip to Lurelin Village in preparation for the ceremony. Nothing too extreme." He wasn't lying. After his...conversation at the Spring of Courage Sidon went to the village nearby. He had invited a local that Link seemed fond of, it turns out he tried to run away from his village to escape the fishing fate in store for him. Link said he would always save the poor guy from a silver bokoblin but he always kept his spirits up and Link liked that. "All I did was fall by the way, not like I went out to defeat an Octorok like before." Link hesitantly accepted this answer and took the Zora's hand to led him into the castle. 

The ceremony was approximately two days away. Tomorrow Sidon would go back to his home and prepare himself, then on the day of the actual event Link would go. He was going to leave both Robbie and Purah in charge of the castle and basically the Kingdom, both the scientists  _insisted_ that they didn't mind and that they'd much rather celebrate the wedding instead. Link wasn't going to argue with them. 

When Sidon was sitting on his bed, relaxing after his very emotionally exhausting, Link plopped down besides him and hugged him tightly. He's been doing this a lot lately. Sidon didn't mind. Link just needed to feel for himself to make sure Sidon was real and this wasn't part of some hyper-realistic dream. The Zora Prince wrapped one arm around his Hylian love and looked down at him with a smile on his face. They would be engaged soon and now he knew that there was nothing to be worried about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, that Revalink fic has been posted. want the Link? (get it?) [Here it is](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11534046)
> 
> Hope you guys like this chapter and the new fic!


	23. Engagement

"Hold  _still!_ " Impa had infinite patience but for some reason all that ran out when she tried to comb Link's hair. Goddess, that boy never did comb his hair. She found twigs in there! He hasn't been out in the forests for ages!

_"It hurts. You're hurting your king and for that I will probably do something about it._ " Impa hummed and rolled her eyes as she continued running the brush through his mass of tangled hair.

"Go on, your highness. Throw this frail old woman in jail for a hundred years or so." Link snorted. He didn't know what it was about the Sheikah Elder that made him feel like a young child. Maybe it was the fact that she treated him like her own, maybe it was the fact that he knew he could be more relaxed around her. Whatever it was he was grateful he has those small moments where he could sit and pretend that he was a little boy and Impa was his mother or grandmother trying to comb his too messy hair.

"You really should cut your hair soon. It's about half way down your back and is full tangles." Link nodded but both of them knew he wouldn't cut his hair anytime soon. Impa finished up and tied his hair back into his usual ponytail. She walked slowly around him and admired her work. "I remember when I used to comb Paya's hair. She'd squirm nearly as much as you do." The elder chuckled and slowly walked to the pillow Link placed his crown on. When she placed it in his head, Impa made sure the crown didn't ruin her expertly made ponytail.

This day was the day he was to be engaged. Nearly the entire kingdom was invited to the Zora's Domain just to see the King of Hyrule and Prince of the Zora get engaged. So many people, so much food.  _So many people_. Link didn't even want to think of how many there would be at his wedding. No, no. This wasn't the time to think of that. Right now Link had bigger fish to fry- er, engage.

"Are you going to finish getting dressed or will you just stand there looking confused until it is time to leave?" Link blinked and nodded. Impa was already sitting in her usual spot and staring at Link who was staring off into space. "I have personally chosen what you will wear from what you brought. Thank Hylia you brought a variety. That green tunic, little shorts, and pointy hat may have been appropriate attire for defeating the Calamity, and perhaps was considered to be something fancy back in the era of the Hero of Time, but  _not_  for an engagement." Link grinned and shrugged before he jogged up the stairs to Impa and Paya's shared room. Of course Paya chose the most...royal looking clothes. A long, deep blue coat (robe? It certainly looked like one to Link) with golden-yellow shoulders that protruded out. The little buttons were gold as well and each one had the Triforce engraved on it. All around the end yellow threads created a pattern of swirls that vaguely reminded Link of the patterns on the ancient shrines, his cuffs held the same pattern and color. The shirt he wore underneath that coat was white though its ruffled design didn't make it as blinding as it should have been (but it at least made Link feel a bit like a pirate). His shirt buttons were, as expected, little triangles. He was starting to get tired of the Triforce but he had to deal with it again, his belt had a gigantic Triforce on the center of it. Thankfully his pants were just off-white and his boots were simply boots. Though the heels on them were just a half inch higher than normal.

After getting dressed Link trudged down the stairs, he felt overdressed but what could he do? This was normal King attire, if anything he was always severely under-dressed. Impa smiled once she saw him and waved him over. She had a wooden box in her lap which she opened when Link was close enough. She pulled out a variety of rings (most of them having the Triforce but some had small gems with the symbols of the Goddesses on them) and gave most of them to Link. He asked if maybe this was a bit too much. Impa scoffed and proclaimed that this was a very special event, he might as well be as fancy as ever!

Finally, finally, after nearly an entire morning of primping and preparing, Link piled into his royal carriage with Paya and Impa. The two Sheikah had on lovely blue robes that was supposedly only worn for special occasions. Impa took the time to paint on the Sheikah symbol on her left eye, something she constantly had when she was younger. Throughout the trip to the Zora's Domain the three talked. Impa eased Link's nerves and Paya eased Impa's nerves (Impa was slightly worried that Link would accidentally do something to ruin the day due to his nerves like run off and accidentally anger the nearby Lynel. Much to Impa's pleasure Link would do no such thing that day). As they talked Link clutched a small package, Paya questioned him what it was at one point what it was but Link refused to answer.

They arrived just a few hours after midday. The path up to the Zora's Domain was crowded with many different people from around the kingdom. While the path was long no one complained, the scenery was amazing and everyone enjoyed it. The three hopped out the carriage and began walking with everyone else. Link's arms were locked with both Paya's and Impa's. As they walked he nearly yanked both women around as he excitedly pointed at the different areas where he defeated some sort of enemy.

Meanwhile, Sidon was pacing back and forth in front of his father. He had spent a better part of the day under the water in his room, preparing for the day. It took three Zoras to help him out on the many pieces of jewelry that the Zora royals wore for special occasions. Sidon's head was covered in silver and diamond jewelry. A very beautiful headdress rested on his head and wrapped around the his shark tail, the Zora crest hung off a chain that was wrapped around the base of that tail. He had on his crown, something he wore only twice before. When Mipha was announced to be a champion and when Mipha was announced dead, at least now he could use it for a happy occasion. His everyday neck jewelry was replaced with something more  _royal_. While this one looked the same it adorned several pieces of luminous stone that would gave a beautiful glow at night. His bracelets were changed for ones that matched his neck jewelry. The mini-scarf he wore was changed for a light blue one that had the Zora crest embedded on it. On top of that he had a necklace resting, the necklace had the Triforce on it as a nod to the Hylians and who he was engaging.

All of this jewelry was heavy and Sidon thought he would drown with it all on. He was almost scared to go up the waterfall that led to his father's throne room. But he made it and now he was pacing back and forth. He was nervous and prayed to the Goddess statue that everything would go as planned. As more guests began filing into the Domain it became more crowded and Sidon got more nervous. People brought food (thank Hylia, with this many people here Sidon was starting to get worried there wouldn't be enough to go around) and some brought gifts. As the guests mingled and talked among themselves Sidon tried his best to calm down.

"My son, do not worry." Dorephan leaned over and patted Sidon's back with one gigantic finger. "All will go well, I promise you." Sidon smiled at his fathers kind words and and hugged his hand. "You should be enjoying yourself, not worrying. It is a grand day, one to go into Zora history for ages! The beginning of a brand new tradition. The beginning of a new era for Hyrule! The beginning of a new era for the Zora!" Sidon smiled again and took a deep breath. His father was right, Sidon couldn't worry. Everything would be fine. He had his gifts, he had his speech, everything would go as planned.

"My, things have gone quiet haven't they?" Dorephan muttered. The Zora Prince's eyes widened. The chatter of the guests had gone silent and that could only mean one thing.

"My Prince!" Muzu called out as he emerged from the crowd. Sidon was ready to pass out. "The Hylian King has arrived. Come, let us take you to your position." Sidon nodded and waved to his father before he followed Muzu into the crowd. The crowd parted for him and in another area it parted for Link. While Sidon couldn't see the Hylian King (he kept his gaze down) he was certain Link had seen him. Sidon was placed at the very entrance of the Zora's Domain. From there he could see everyone. Since there were so many guests some were up on the stairs, in the shops, by the throne room, anywhere there was space. Link was standing in front of Mipha's statue, ready to begin the ceremony. He looked uncomfortable in his own Royal attire but he had on the biggest Sidon had ever seen.

"Mhmm." Muzu hummed, Sidon looked down at him. "You have your gift, yes? Good. Now I do hope you don't forget anything you need to say." Sidon nodded. "May the Goddess bless you, Sidon." Muzu smiled and patted the Prince's arm before he turned around and walked to Link. Oh Hylia. The ceremony was starting.

Music played from somewhere. Sidon didn't take the time to look. He kept his eyes locked on the statue of his sister as he walked up to his Hylian lover. The music stopped when he stood directly in front of Link, both of them were on both sides of Muzu.  The bowed to one another in respect then stood still and waited for Muzu to begin.

"Ladies and gentleman. Zora and visiting guests, it is my pleasure to announce that we are here to witness the beginning of a brand new tradition for the Zora Princes." The elder's voice boomed out which surprised Sidon. Muzu was usually rather quiet and his voice was almost always hoarse. "Sidon, Prince of the Zora, son of King Dorephan. The Domain has admired him for his brave acts in protecting us and those outside the Kingdom. He has defeated great Octoroks terrorizing villages and helped appease the Divine Beast which held the spirit of our dear Princess Mipha captive. We all admire him and his excellence, we all know you will be a wonderful king." Everyone clapped, the Zora's clapping a bit louder than others.

"Link, King of Hyrule, Hylian Champion, Hero chosen by the Goddesses. The entire kingdom has witnessed your courageous acts in protecting this land. You have gone through many hardships; losing your memory, losing your friends and family, losing the princess. You were thrown into royalty unfairly and without a clue and yet you have been a wonderful King to this slowly re growing kingdom. You have reclaimed all Divine Beasts and freed the spirits of the champions, you have protected the people of this land without a care of your own safety, you have freed us all from the Calamity. We all admire your divine courage and we pray that the Goddesses reward you appropriately." Everyone clapped once more, the Zora's clapping a bit louder once again.

"These two souls," Muzu continued once the clapping died down, "have found one another somehow. They have grown closer with each day they spend together. We will never truly know when the two clicked. Perhaps it was when they calmed Vah Ruta, perhaps it was when they traveled all of Hyrule together, perhaps it was in their time in the castle. Whatever the case may be their spirits have intertwined and the two have fallen for one another. It is clear to any that sees the two together that they care deeply for one another. And while people may argue and deny this love all they want," at this Muzu looked up at Sidon with a small smile, "they cannot ignore that these two are obviously fated for one another." Sidon smiled at the Zora elder with teary eyes. That was, probably, the sweetest thing Muzu has said.

"We will now begin with the giving of  the gifts. Sidon, the Zora Prince, shall now give Link his gifts." Muzu stepped back and suddenly all eyes were on Sidon. He felt like he was going to throw up. Sidon fumbled with the two large boxes he had set down besides him. He held one beautifully decorated box up in each hand and knelt down, bowing his head. He cleared his throat and spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Link, Hylian King. For you I have made these gifts as a symbol of the love I feel for you. I pray you accept them as well as I pray you allow me to take your hand in marriage." Link took both boxes and gently set them down, opened them up and took the sword and shield out. His eyes widened as he stared at the beautifully crafted weapons in his hands. "Following the old Zora Princess tradition I have made something that can protect you in battle. While I pray to the Goddess Hylia that you don't ever need to be in battle again, I know that is impossible. With these gifts I pray that the scales I have embedded in them will be able to protect you." Sidon looked up at the Hylian King who was still holding the sword and shield. Link had tears in his eyes and a wide smile plastered on his face. As Sidon stood up Link signed out the words he wanted to hear.

_"I accept these gifts."_ Sidon's breath got caught in his throat, his own tears threatening to stream onto his cheeks. Before Sidon could speak again, Link began signing once more. This time, however, Paya translated what Link was signing.

"Before anything else happens, I have a gift of my own." Paya said. She had volunteered to translate for Link, much to Link and Impa's surprise. Yes, she was usually a very shy girl and would much rather keep to herself but there were times where she felt a surge of bravery course through her veins and she was able to do things like this. She was a Sheikah after all, and much like her grandmother. "I know it isn't something really relevant to the old or new Zora tradition but I felt like it was appropriate." Link took a poorly wrapped gift from Impa and knelt down, holding it up to Sidon who immediately took it. "Your happiness is my happiness. I know things haven't been so great since Mipha died in battle, I know you think you don't deserve me or whatever you feel is wrong because of what Mipha felt. I know you miss your sister every day and would like some physical reminder of her and how much you loved her. And maybe this will also be a reminder for you of how much I love you, even if it isn't something I made with my own two hands." Sidon blinked in confusion and opened the gift with shaky hands. Sidon gasped when he saw what was inside, this time the tears did fall. "It isn't the exact one Mipha wore when she went into combat but I know she did wear this proudly at one point. I hope you can accept my gift and I hope you know that she is proud of you for everything you've done. Not just for me, but for the Kingdom." Sidon stared down at the light blue sash Mipha had worn at one point in her life. He didn't know how Link had found this sash (it was probably hidden deep in the castle) but he was just glad he did.

The Hylian King stood up to his the Zora Prince crying with the sash in his hands. Sidon whispered out  _"I accept your gift as well_ ". 

Muzu cleared his threat and Sidon nodded. He calmed himself and took Link's hand in his own. He took a deep breath in and began speaking once more.

"Link. King of Hyrule. Hylian Champion and Hero of Hyrule." The Zora Prince took Link's hands in his own. "I have known you for as long as I can remember. When you awoke from your century long slumber your helped me save my home and my people. When we ventured out into Hyrule to explore you opened your heart to me, you helped me see a part of you no one else has. When you began your life as King you went through many different things, there were points where you would give up. You would believe you hadn't fulfilled your duty as protector of this kingdom. You believed you were a horrible ruler. There were points where you had nightmares of previous heroes visit you and  _tell_  you you were a failure. You have gone through so much anguish in your life and yet your dedication to better others and keep everyone safe is a never ending ray of light that Hyrule needs. Link, many people will ask me why you're the one I have fallen for. What is so special about the Hylian that has been seen running around in outlandish costumes picking fights with monsters? Well I'm here to say why I have fallen for you."

"People see you as the hero, the king, the champion, the hylian, a traveler. They see you as the one with the sword that always happens to be at the right place at the right time. I see you as something more. You're kind hearted soul and you care deeply for Hyrule and all it's people. You love animals and will do anything in your power to keep one from getting hurt. You're stubborn and believe you can do almost anything on your own even when you know you can't. You were thrown into a life of responsibility too soon and yet you still try to hold your head up high. I see these things everyday. I see your courage,  _your_  courage, and not the one placed in you to complete the task of defeating the darkness. I see you go through so many different things each day and you never give up. I suppose over time after I have gotten to know you for long these feelings were bound to develop. I even began questioning my own love for you. Was I in love with you or the thought of you? The answer is both. I love the thought of you living the happy life you deserve. I love the thought of you not having to live your life as if it were a constant war zone. I love the thought of you being the knight in shining armor to not just me, but everyone. And I love you because you're a strong person. You never give up even when your chances seem slim. You are a dedicated friend and leader. You are loyal and will be there for me whenever I need you. For me, you have done much more than needed. For me you try to give me the moon and the stars in the sky. For me you have allowed yourself to become vulnerable and allowed me to help heal you. I love you not because you're the Hero of Hyrule but because you're so much more than that. You're the Hylian who is dedicated to himself and others, you pour your heart and soul into everything you do, you understand thoughts and emotions that most people cannot comprehend because of your own experiences. You are someone so unique and so full of life and so special. You have captured my heart and for those very reasons I love you. And for those very reasons I ask you, will you marry me?"

Sidon couldn't pause to take a proper breath before Link rapidly signed out his answer. This time it didn't matter if Paya didn't translate in her rather loud voice, everyone could see Link nodding his head as his hands furiously signed the short word before he threw himself onto his Zora fiancé. The entire domain cheered and clapped as Sidon bent down to lift Link up. 

From that moment forward everything would be a blur. The celebration quickly followed the engagement ceremony and pretty soon everyone was either gathering around both Sidon and Link and congratulating them or they were dancing along to the music playing with a Noble Pursuit in their hand (or some other, calmer drink if that was more their taste). For hours and hours the guests all partied to their hearts desire. More than a few times did their celebrating get a bit too out of hand but the few sober guests and the many guards managed to reel in the guests. However they did have a hard time trying to get the drunken Hylian King down from the very top of the giant fish that decorated the domain. Sidon (who thankfully hadn't touched a Noble Pursuit and wasn't planning on touching one) simply laughed as Link tried to show off to those down below how high up he was. After a bit, Teba grumbled something about Link accidentally falling before he flew up and got the King down. 

The party went on for quite some time. Most guests left by the time the sun was rising the next morning. The rest went back home around noon. The Zora Domain wasn't as trashed as most would expect it to be. Surprisingly enough a vast majority of the guests were very good on actually tossing their garbage. The few Zora people who still had the energy to be awake were cleaning up what was left of the mess, making sure not to step on the Hylian King (who was laying on the ground and staring up at the sky, the inch and a half of water that constantly covered the floor relaxed him after such a eventful night). After a bit, Sidon joined him.

As the two tiredly stared up at the morning sky Link slowly inched his hand closer to Sidon's. His hand brushed against his Zora fiance's and within a moment their hands were loosely holding onto each other. Link smiled sighed contently. He couldn't wait to marry the Zora Prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final stretch. Only TWO MORE CHAPTERS REMAINING!!!!!
> 
> also sorry for not updating in so long! I had a research paper due for a class but thankfully that's over and done with! Hope you liked this update!


	24. Visions: Hylian Edition

Goodbyes are, perhaps, the hardest thing Link has endured. He has had to say goodbye to any normal life he had lived before the Calamity. He has had to say goodbye to his friends, the Champions. He has had to say goodbye to his memories. He has had to say goodbye to Princess Zelda as she died in his arms. Now, he had to say goodbye to his fiancé so he could make the trip back to Hyrule Castle and return to his royal duties. Sidon was to stay at the Zora's Domain and spend some much needed time with his people. Of course, the two would be planning their wedding (with help of course!) while they stayed in their respective Kingdoms. It'd be difficult but they couldn't spend every waking second together to plan their wedding. They needed to also pay attention to their responsibilities and blah blah blah. So technically speaking the two wouldn't see each other until the day of their actual wedding. 

Which was complete agony for Link.

Don't get Sidon wrong- he was going to be miserable as well!- but he thought it to be a sort of romantic thing. They wouldn't see each other until their wedding day and that would make that day so much more special. Link didn't exactly think that way and was already scheming up a plan to finish a months worth of work in less than a week. Sidon had to force Link to promise he wouldn't do that and to just go along with their plan. Link begrudgingly agreed.

So they did as planned. Link returned to the castle and Sidon stayed home. Over the course of two and a half months Link and Sidon prepared for their wedding. They had several willing helpers (which was consisted of Bolson, Rhondson, and Paya as well as a few others) who would help the two communicate their plans and ideas via letters as well as actually getting the decorations, food, and just about everything else ready. Link promised everyone who was helping a hearty reward but they all turned it down and insisted they were more than happy to help for free.

The help was greatly appreciated by both Sidon and Link. Link was overwhelmed by the many new issues that suddenly surged in the Kingdom. Few funds to support the rebuilding of a certain village, sudden surge of monster attacks in more remote areas where travelers often explored, questions on how Hyrule would defend itself against Ganon's attack (Better to start preparing too early rather than too late), questions on how the Princess with Goddess blood would be born into the royal family and how the next hero of legend would be born if Link was going to marry a Zora. Offspring between a Hylian and Zora has never happened before, mostly because hardly any Hylians marry Zoras, so how would the hero and princess be born? These questions, as well as others, were always thrown at Link the moment he woke up. It was stressing and he was tired of them but he tried his best not to let that get to him.

Some of the problems were obviously easier to handle. The funds? Link would create a team of miners and have them mine for rare and precious gems. He had discovered that the last king had hidden away chests filled with rupees just in case Hyrule was in trouble financially. Link would be up to the task but he knew he couldn't be the one exploring Hyrule for hidden chests so he would create  _another_ team to track down the hidden rupees. Monster attacks? He hired Kilton to teach a group of elite soldiers on the specific monster they were going to face. If the soldiers couldn't peacefully move the monsters than they'd had to resort to a more violent option. Protection against Ganon? Link consulted Impa, Purah, and Robbie. The four of them discussed possible ideas and plans for defeating Ganon and protecting the civilians as well as new technology. The Divine Beasts were going to be put away, placed below the Kingdom's ground and saved. They couldn't be used again, not after last time. The birth of the new hero and goddess blooded princess? This was more difficult. Since the blood of the Goddess Hylia ran through the bloodlines of the ancient Hyrulean family, Link didn't have that. So if there was any sort of possibility that by some miracle Link and Sidon somehow managed to have children, their child wouldn't have the Goddess's blood. But Link recalled the Goddess mentioning that he had his share of the Triforce returned to him, as well as received Zelda's piece. Perhaps maybe the shard of wisdom was the only thing he needed in order to carry the blood of the Goddess? He didn't know. But even if that was the case, how would he have a child? Aside from the fact that Sidon was a male, a Hylian and Zora have never had a child before. This was a dilemma and Link nearly had a panic attack before he reminded himself that the Goddesses had planned for all this. He was sure they knew something would happen and the next Goddess-blooded princess would get there one way or another. As for the next legendary hero...well Link already knew the answer to that. He would die at one point and return to the world in a new life. No need to worry over bearing children there. The next hero was already there! This, however, wasn't something he could explain to anyone who asked. The answer was too complicated and probably something completely insane. So, when asked, Link simply shrugged and answered that the Goddess had a plan. With prayer the true answer would come to him. Everyone accepted this answer.

Link would spent late nights, hunched over in the hidden study that belonged to the Last King of Hyrule. He would be reading some proposed laws, trying to figure out solutions to problems that happened across the Kingdom, and helping plan the wedding (the wedding stuff he always saved for last so he could fall asleep with a smile on his face). He was running on approximately two hours of sleep, sometimes less, a night. Not that he really cared. While saving Hyrule he hardly ever slept. But the lack of sleep was adding to his already growing stress.

Link, thankfully, had a solution to this.

 _"Thank you for coming on such short notice."_ Link signed with a smile as Paya helped her grandmother out of the Royal Carriage.  _"I hope I didn't pull you out of anything important."_

"Important? Nothing is more important than helping you run a kingdom, my dear." Impa hugged Link warmly and they all walked up the path into the castle. "Besides, Paya had a letter to deliver you from the Zora Prince."

"Ah, y-yes." Paya dug through a bag she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out an envelope with Link's name on it. "Prince Sidon would also like for me to remind you to not stress yourself out in this time where nearly everyone requires your attention." Impa chuckled.

"He knows you all too well your highness." As they walked in Link explained just exactly what he needed Impa to help him with. With everything explained Impa shooed Link away and demanded he take advantage of his "day off". She wouldn't do this too often. Link smiled and thanked her once more, hugged both Impa and Paya, before he jogged off to his room.

Link had to admit, he was excited. For the first time in two and half months he had the freedom to do whatever he pleased! He quickly changed out of the itchy royal attire and into his more comfortable Champion's Tunic. He gathered his materials (really just his sword and shield AND the sword and shield Sidon had given to him) before he ran out the room. He had left the crown placed on his bed and most definitely didn't toss it on there when he was halfway down the hallway.

Where to go? Where to go? Link didn't know. He ran through the long castle hallways, dodging whoever came across his path. He was racking his brain trying to think of the perfect place to go when something caught his attention. Link stopped and stood still. He heard the faint sound of bells? No. It was something else, something different but it sounded so  _similar_. What could it be? 

He stayed silent and took a step closer to where he believed the sound was coming from. Yes. It was definitely something else. He  _knew_  what it was yet he couldn't place a finger on it.

A fairy flew up to him from around the corner. A dim golden light, different than a fairy's normal pink glow, was shining off of its round little body glowed directly in his face as it flew in little circles in front of him. Link was...confused to say in the least. Most of the time fairies would fly away if anyone go too close. Now this one was right in front of him. What could this mean?

The fairy flew forward and paused, going around in small circles again. Link hesitated before he took a step towards the creature once more. In response, the fairy flew forward again and waited. Oh. Now Link knew what this meant. He began walking towards the fairy and didn't stop. It seemed to be leading him somewhere, but where exactly? The creature flew into the deeper areas of the castle, confusing Link with every foot it flew. Eventually it paused at a door, flying in a lazy circle until Link caught up. He reached a hand out, the fairy reacted and flew straight through the door.

Link sighed and pushed the hair out of his face. He already had a feeling something... _divine_ was afoot. He wondered what it could be. Maybe another one of his childhood memories? Maybe a Goddess statue was in there? Only one way to find out...

The door opened with a loud creak that echoed off the walls of the hallway. The golden fairy from before had vanished and no other golden light was seen. Link walked in slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for any sort glowing circle. He saw nothing as he walked deeper into the dark room. He frowned a bit and stood there, silently wondering why he was even led there if there was going to be  _nothing_?

The Hylian King sighed again, more annoyed this time, and looked around. It looked like sort of storage room. Everything in there was dusty and looked old. Probably the things Bolson or the new Castle servants had found when the Castle was remodeled. From the looks of it, it all just looked like broken junk that no one had the heart to dump out. But there had to be something in there that was important.

Link began yanking tarps off of boxes, dust flying up in the air and causing Link to sneeze. He wouldn't get anything done if he was trapped in a room full of dust. Thankfully there was a boarded up window. Normally Link would jump at the chance to set something on fire- this was a perfect opportunity to do so!- but he controlled himself and instead decided to pry the boards off. They were flimsy so it didn't take much energy to do so. Light poured into the room, causing something off to the side to glimmer. Link raised a hand to block the light from his eyes and walked to the source.

A beautiful and perfectly reserved tiara rested on top of a pillow placed on top of a box. The tiara seemed to have been untouched from the dust and seemed to be one worn for more...special occasions. In any case it seemed flashier than the one Zelda often wore. The Hylian King picked up the diadem and thought for a moment, Zelda's face popped into his mind. A pang of guilt shot through him at the thought of her, she hadn't crossed his mind in such a long time... He supposed he should...fully pay his respects to her. After such a long time and after everything that had happened it was the very least Link could do.

With the tiara in hand, Link went back up to the main parts of the castle. He stopped to inform Impa where he was planning on going before returning to his room to change into the proper clothing. Once he was fully prepared, Link unclipped his Sheikah Slate and selected a shrine on the map that appeared. Within seconds he was standing behind the Goddess Statue at the Spring of Wisdom.

The cold stung his cheeks and the water didn't help him. It soaked through his pants as he waded over to the front of the statue. He could barely feel the cold metal of the tiara with his freezing fingers. Damn his fingerless gloves, the Rito just didn't understand how crucial that part of his body was.

Link knelt down in the water and bowed his head. He closed his eyes for a moment before he placed the tiara that once belonged to Princess Zelda on the little mound that was meant for offerings. When it was set down a brilliant golden light shot up and Link seemed to have sunk a bit lower into the water. He was struggling now, something felt like it was dragging him down as the light drew closer and closer to him. He was pulled down to where only his head was above the water. If he didn't die drowning then hypothermia would be a close second. He took in a deep breath before he was yanked roughly underwater. All he could see was the golden light above.

-

Link opened his eyes, he doesn't remember ever closing them, only to be blinded by the sun. He groaned and put a hand up to shade his eyes. He squinted while he adjusted to the light. When he was ready, he jumped out of the bed but nearly jumped in surprise when he noticed he was no longer in his Rito made clothing but back in his Champion's Tunic. That was...certainly odd, but whatever. In the distance he heard a cow moo and a cucco cluck in distress. When the light no longer bothered him he looked around. It looked like...he was in a house. A house in Hateno, however it wasn't  _his_ house.

Link was standing on the second floor besides a bed. There was another, larger bed a few feet away from the one he was next to. It looked like this house belonged to a family. Well, Link wasn't going to invade their privacy much longer. It'd be weird if they saw their King in their house snooping around. He hurried down the stairs and walked out the house only to be greeted by a cow in his face. It mooed loudly and Link held his hands up defensively. The animal did nothing as Link slowly walked to the side.

He was on a farm. He recognized this one to be the farm that resided at the foot of the hill that led up to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Except...the farm seemed different somehow. It all looked different...

A pony caught his attention. It neighed and trotted up to him happily, as if Link was an old friend. The Hylian King smiled and proceeded to pat the pony's side, looking around and spotting an apple tree nearby. He plucked a fruit off the tree and fed it to the pony. It neighed once more before it happily ate the apple  out of Link's hand.

"You always told me your favorite memories were on your family's farm. Back when you lived here at least." Link jumped up in surprise. He swirled around and stood protectively in front of the small animal only for his defensive frame to shrivel up. "To be quite honest I was afraid you'd react negatively to this seeing as the Shrine of Resurrection wiped your memories clean. But I see your love of animals has saved the day." Zelda smiled warmly as Link stood there, mouth open and eyes wide. "My favorite memory was the day we went out and I found that frog." The area around them melted away and in came a new landscape. They were sitting on the hill that looked over at Hyrule Castle. The pony had apparently stayed with the two of them as the scenery changed. It neighed and happily began trotting around the new field, the new hill. This was the same exact hill from Link's memory of the day Zelda tried to make him taste a frog.

"Shall we sit?" The Princess sat down in the grass and patted the ground besides her. Link lowered himself onto the ground, his shaky legs almost causing him to collapse. "This is quite nice isn't it? The day is just as I remember it, only I wasn't wearing this silly old dress." Zelda sighed contently and looked over at the castle. "I get the felling you believe this to be some kind of dream, which is understandable, but believe me when I say this isn't."

 _"You're really here?_ " Link finally signed out. Zelda smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Link. I'm really here. I have begged for the Goddesses to give me a few spare moments with you. I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to do so. Although I was expecting something more...subtle. Like maybe allowing me to visit you in your dreams. But I suppose drowning you and dragging your spirit to the Sacred Realm works as well."

They sat there silently. Neither knew exactly what to say. It was tense, awkward, between them. But neither really cares. Although they were a tad uncomfortable they were glad to be in one another's presence again.

"Link, I'm sorry." Zelda finally spoke up. She was ripping grass blades out the ground and tearing them up. "I...I shouldn't of forced such responsibility onto you as I died. But I was panicking and it felt like the  _right_  decision at the moment and I didn't want Hyrule- or what was left of it- to suffer any more. I...I know how stressful it is to be a leader when you have no clue what to do. I hope I haven't caused you too much anguish since then..." Link smiled a bit and shook his head.

 _"Don't worry. It isn't that bad after a while. King Dorephan and Impa have helped me a lot too. I believe that I can handle this."_  Zelda smiled and sniffled. There were tears welling up in her eyes. 

"You were always so positive. It surprised me to be honest. Even when you knew your destiny and how...horrible your life would be, you were very optimistic. Even now. I admire that about you." Silence again. Zelda continued messing with the grass and Link looked down at Hyrule Field. He frowned and cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'm...sorry." His voice is low and hoarse from the lack of use. He cleared his throat it again. "I didn't...protect you." Zelda blinked. She had listened to him talk very few times in the past. She had forgotten what his voice sounded like so it was a bit of shock to hear him actually talk.

"It's fine, really. I had...I already had my suspicions that  _all of that_  would happen. Especially after a hundred years. I mean, Hylians can live longer than that but I was exhausting an awful lot of ancient power. It was bound to...to..." Zelda chewed her bottom lip and looked down at Castle Town. From there they could see small figures moving around, living their lives. "I suppose I should've warned you before you began battling the dark beast that that would've happened. So you wouldn't of been as scared or shocked. I guess I didn't because...I was hoping I would survive." She sighed and wiped a tear away.

 _"Let's talk about something else."_ Link signed. Zelda nodded.

"I suppose this is a good time to actually get to the thing I wanted to talk to you about. I just hope I don't get too embarrassed to actually say it." Zelda smoothed out her dress once she repositioned herself and spoke quietly. "You were...my best friend. You were there for me in times of great need. You protected me at all costs even when I treated you poorly. Yes, I know you were my appointed knight. I know it was your duty to protect me with all your life but...I felt like I didn't deserve that protection. I felt like...because of my inability to access that sealing power and my constant belittling of your position and you in general I didn't deserve to be protected. That day when the Yiga Clan had me surrounded you could've left me to perish but you didn't...that day when all went wrong and the Guardians were hunting us down you could've left me to die and saved yourself but you didn't. And all those days where I was a mess of emotions, where I wanted nothing to do with you or anyone, you were there by my side. You helped me cope with my feelings and tried to help me through them. You even opened up to me and made me feel like I was special. Like I wasn't a complete failure. You...you always will be my best friend, Link." Zelda and slowly took Link's hand in her own. She gave it a tight squeeze, smiling through the tears reforming in her eyes.

"You're my best friend too." Link whispered out in his raspy voice. "I understood what you were going through and you understood what I was going through. We might've had our ups and downs but I'm glad we were able to be as close as we were. Even if it was for a short while." The Princess smiled and began sobbing happy tears as she threw herself onto Link. It was funny, Link thought to himself, here he was hugging a crying Zelda on the ground. Only this time there was no rain and the tears weren't one of stress and heart-wrenching pain.

The two spent their remaining time simply strolling through the fields and small patches of trees, hand in hand. Zelda explained that in the Sacred Realm her ancestors lived in their own kingdoms. She often visited them and would go exploring Hyrule's old form. It was always exciting to go see the hidden secrets of Hyrule in the Era of the Hero of Twilight or the Hero of the Sky (that one was her personal favorite, Skyloft intrigued her and she just loved the Surface before it became Hyrule) or any other form of Hyrule where any other legendary hero lived. To her delight she got along quite pleasantly with the other Goddess-blooded princesses although it was a bit confusing whenever someone wanted to talk to a  _specific_ Zelda.

The topic came up of Link's status as King. The Hylian Knight, at first, shrugged and simply responded with an  _"it's fine, could be worse."_  Zelda urged him to talk and he did. He was hesitant at first, he didn't want to make the Princess feel as if she had shoved too much onto Link's plate when he had just finished fulfilling his duty, but after a bit of her pushing him to talk he did. He sheepishly mentioned the point in time where he went out exploring Hyrule and procrastinating his own coronation. He left out the parts that included Sidon, he was too embarrassed to mention him at first, until Zelda asked if he did this all alone. Surely Impa wouldn't of allowed that! Link then awkwardly explained how Mipha's younger brother had accompanied him in his journey around the kingdom. Then Link had explain how Sidon also spent a majority of his time in Hyrule Castle with Link instead of in the Zora Domain, helping him discover more on previous heroes and help him cope with all he had been through. Zelda smiled and patted Link's shoulder, informing him that he didn't have to dance around that subject. That was a breath of fresh air. Link laughed nervously and, in his gross raspy voice, told her that he was getting married soon. Zelda responded with another tight hug.

The time came where the two had to depart. Zelda didn't want to say goodbye but she knew that a goodbye was inevitable. She led them to the Sacred Grounds, thinking it would be rather...fitting. As they approached, the Princess sighed and gave Link's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Before you go...I have to pass a message on to you..." Link raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "The Goddesses have...informed me that it is time for you to return the Master Sword to its resting place. Since your duty has been fulfilled you no longer need its strength." Link nodded again. "But...with the sword of legend returned to its place...you will no longer be able to...how do I put this? You will no longer be able to...see me. Your connection with me- with this ancient power really- will be sealed away. Of course the shards of courage and wisdom will still live on within you but you will never be able to...see me again. Or the Sacred Realm. But the remaining pieces of the spirits of the Champions will be freed and they will be able to fully cross over to the Sacred Realm..."

Link was staring down at the ground as they slowly walked up the show to the old grounds where Link was fully recognized as a Hylian Champion. He didn't know what to think. He didn't want to return the Master Sword, that sword was practically a part of him! He went through shrine after shrine to prove to that sword that he was worthy. He used that legendary blade to protect him from the worst of enemies, from puny ChuChus to the big bad Calamity. And now he was being told he could never revisit Zelda once he returned it to its place? No way did he want to return it now. He was connected to this blade...he couldn't just let it go. Could he? Link looked at his hip. At the time it was bare, no Sheikah Slate clipped onto his belt and the sword Sidon made for him wasn't there either. He supposed it wouldn't be so bad. In fact, he didn't need the sword that sealed the darkness if there was no darkness to seal. All he really needed was the sword given to him by the lovely Zora Prince. Besides, Link would come back eventually. He would be reunited with the sword then.

 _"I'll miss you."_  Link signed when Zelda let his hand go.  _"I'll always miss you. And I won't forget about you."_ Zelda hugged him, crying again. Link hugged back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. He tries to squeeze his eyes shut to stop the tears from flowing but alas, they streamed down his cheeks anyway. When the hug broke apart she smiled widely at her friend and laughed, wiping Link's tears away and saying he'd miss him as well.

"Goodbye, Link." Zelda whispered as Link knelt down in front of her.

"See you later, Zelda." The Hylian Knight said in his raspy voice. Zelda held her arm out and within a second the Triforce appeared on her hand. A second later the golden light coming from the magical triangle moved from the princess's hand to the the knight. When the light died down, Link was gone and Zelda was alone.

-

"Congratulations, your highness." Paya whispered, poking her head into Link's study. Link jumped up in surprise. He was taking a little nap on his desk. The Sheikah girl smiled and stepped into the room with a stack of letters in her arms. "As of today, your wedding is done being planned. All the preparations are ready. All that needs to happen is the  _actual_  wedding." She grabbed an envelope from the top of the stack she held and handed it to Link. The Hylian King already had a gigantic smile on his face but upon seeing that the letter was actually an invitation to his very own wedding. "Since neither you nor Prince Sidon could decide on an actual date for the wedding my grandmother took care of it. I hope it isn't too much of...I hope it isn't too soon." Link raised an eyebrow and looked back down at the invitation and nearly had a stroke. The wedding was planned for two weeks from that day.

"I-I tried to tell my grandma that that would be too soon but she  _insisted_  that it be that date and-" Link raised a hand and Paya stopped.

 _"It's fine,"_  He sighed once he set the invitation down,  _"I just thought I had more time...I have one final task to do. It's important and I wanted to do it before the wedding..."_

"Well...if it isn't too intrusive may I ask what it is?" Paya set the stack of envelopes down on the free area of Link's desk.

_"It was just something...the Goddess tasked me to do. That day I went to the Spring of Wisdom..."_

"But Master Link...that was over a month ago. I find it kind of hard to believe you haven't done it since then..." Link shrugged and glanced over at the Master Sword. It was leaning up against the wall besides the old Hylian Shield Link always had equipped. Paya followed Link's gaze and put two and two together. She touched his shoulder gently before speaking once more. "If you'd like, and if you allow me to, I could...act in your place for a short while today. While you go out and...do whatever it is you have to do." Link's ears twitched upward as he looked up at Paya in disbelief. "I'm...sure I will be able to handle everything for a little while. Grandmother has begun preparing me for the day I become the next leader of the Sheikah and I believe I am capable of handling the Kingdom for a day." Link shot up from his seat and hugged Paya, who blushed profusely as she hugged him back.

 _"Thank you, Paya."_  Link signed quickly once he let go of the Sheikah girl.  _"I'll be back later. I promise it won't be too long!"_  He grabbed his sword and shield before sprinting to his own room. As always he changed out of his Royal clothing and into his Champion's Tunic. Unlike many other times, he only carried the Master Sword with him. No shield no bow, not even the two weapons given to him by Sidon. No, this was a time for him and his sword. With everything ready, Link took out his Sheikah Slate and a moment later and Link was standing at the shrine near the Woodland stable.

It was midday and sun bounced beautifully off the light blue blade of the sword. Link held the legendary weapon tightly in his hand as he made his way up to the path to the very entrance of the Lost Woods. He knew nothing would attack him, but holding the sword made him feel less...exposed. Less lonely.

The fog thickened as he drew closer and closer to the forest's entrance. The temperature dropped slightly and Link could now see his breath. The sun had mysteriously vanished yet the Master Sword continued to glow and give off a vibrant light. This was it. He was only a short walk away from returning the blade that has protected him on his long and dangerous journey. He wouldn't see it until the next time Hyrule needed him...

 _"Master."_  The voice was very faint but Link still heard it. Link looked around for a moment before his eyes settled on the Master  _Sword. "As your blade throughout the ages, I have a very strong connection with you. Right now that connection is indicating that your stress levels are rising considerably, with that may come a sudden loss of direction. Would you like me to show you the way to the Korok Forest?"_ Hylia, the voice was just as he remembered it. A monotone gone yet still somewhat endearing. She spoke an old, dead language. One used far before the creation of Hyrule. One Link  _shouldn't_  be able to understand as easily as he did yet he could.

 _"Fi."_ The name hit him suddenly. He recalled hearing her voice, hearing her tell Link her name, the very first time he tried to make his way through the confusing and foggy forest. Fi, the spirit within the sword, had shown herself. She had helped Link claim his sword. Now she was talking to him once more so Link could return her to her resting place.  _"Yes."_ Link thought to himself. He was certain Fi could hear his thoughts, they had a connection after all!  _"Show me the way. And...show yourself."_

 _"While I cannot leave the Master Sword,"_ something shimmered by a tree and suddenly, she appeared,  _"I can offer this projection of how my physical form once looked. Shall we make our way trough the forest?"_ Link laughed breathlessly and nodded. Fi nodded back and began floating backwards, leading Link through the forest.

 _"Fi, what is...how long until...I come back and I take the Master Sword again?"_ Link asked, looking up at the somewhat transparent spirit.

 _"Judging from preexisting information on your previous tasks as Hero and Ganon's current state, I estimate it will not be for another two hundred years."_ Link nodded, looking down at the sword. _"The connection is informing me that you are currently wondering if I ever become displeased with waiting so long. I do not. As a spirit inhabiting the sword I do not awaken until you are reborn. However I myself would not even call this being awake. While I am not asleep, per se, I am not awake. I am simply here and I do not mind that."_

 _"That's good."_ Link smiled just a bit. He had forgotten that Fi could practically read his thoughts _. "Do you...do you believe I will see my Zelda again? Or anyone from here again?"_

 _"I calculate a 5% chance that you will see anyone from this era again. You cannot access the Sacred Realm once the Master Sword is returned to its place in the pedestal, so the chances of you seeing the Zelda from here are zero. However there is a 80% chance you may see descendants from this era in the future."_  Fi lowered herself closer to the ground once the two of them reached the gigantic, hollowed out log.  _"We have reached the entrance to the Korok Forest. I will now recall this projection."_

_"Stay. Please. It's nice talking to the sword that saved my skin so many. And perhaps you miss seeing your Link. I know I'm not him but at the very least I look like him."_

_"As you wish, Master."_  The protection rippled and Fi slowly moved to Link's side. The Hylian King smiled and the two made their way into the forest. The fog lifted instantaneously and the sun shone right in Link's face. He could hear the wooden wind chime-like noise of the Korok's coming from all directions. His smile grew wider.

"Ah." The Great Deku Tree yawned as Link approached the place where the Master Sword once rested. "You've returned. What a wonderful surprise, Hestu was beginning to believe you'd forgotten all about us." Link smiled awkwardly and looked down at the three Silent Princesses in front of him. The Deku Tree hummed and resumed talking once more. "I sense a great deal of turmoil within you, Link."

 _"I've come to return the Master Sword. The Goddesses instructed me to do so..."_  The Great Deku Tree hummed as Link unsheathed the sword and examined it.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd place it back on its pedestal. But I suppose it was still needed after the battle with the darkness." The Hylian King nodded stiffly as he looked back up at the Deku Tree. He quickly glanced at Fi, who was floating quietly besides him, out of the corner of his eye.

_"The problem with this is I don't want to put it back. Without this sword I feel like...nothing."_

"That is quite an unsettling mindset, though is expected from someone like yourself. All your life you were conditioned to believe that this very sword was meant to be attached to your hand at all times. If not, then you wouldn't be the Hero sent by the Goddesses. However, that is not true. Not in the slightest." The Koroks began surrounding Link and Fi. Link wasn't sure if the Koroks, or anyone besides him for that matter, could see the spirit of the sword but they sure did act like the could. "With or without your sword you are a hero. You are still the legend passed down from generation to generation." The Koroks began excitedly chattering. Link couldn't make out much of what they were saying but he did catch a few of them exclaiming _'Yes! Mr.Hero will always be a Hero!'_

"While it is true that the blade you wield plays a major and crucial part in keeping the darkness away, you play an even bigger role. Without you the sword is simply a sword. Without you, there would be no one with courage as divine as the Goddess Farore to go up against an enemy as old as Hyrule itself. Without you the land we live in would not exist. I believe you should, perhaps, think about those truths rather than the ones you've made yourself believe. You are not nothing without the Master Sword, you will still continue to be Link. You will still continue to be the legendary Hero of Hyrule."

 _"If I may, Master Link." Fi spoke, turning to face the Hylian King. "The Ancient Deku Tree speaks all truth. The blade you hold in your hand does not decrease your status as Hero or a person of great importance. In all the times I have been returned to my place in the pedestal the fragments of the Triforce you carry have remained with you thus keeping you as the chosen one."_ Link smiled ever so slightly as Fi's monotone voice explained to Link how he will always technically be a hero.

"Are you ready my boy?" Link nodded and held his sword close to his face. Pressing his forehead to the cold blade, Link let a few small tears fall. He really shouldn't be getting so emotional over a sword but he was. "Whenever you are ready simply return the sword to its rightful place. Once it is back you will no longer retrieve it. Not until the next life that is." Another nod and Link let out a shaky breath.

Gripping the handle tightly, Link slowly lowered the top into the hole on the pedestal. Fi's projection rippled and became more transparent than before. The Hylian Hero slowly plunged his sword deeper into the pedestal and with each inch, the image of Fi grew weaker. As the sword finally began reaching its limit, Fi slowly floated to the front of Link and bowed her head.

 _"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Master Link. I hope to see you soon."_  With that the tip reached the bottom and Fi's projection vanished. The voice in the sword grew silent and the blade's shining blue light grew dull. The blue light was instead replaced with a low golden light that came from the pedestal itself. Though Link knew that the spirit in the sword could no longer hear him, he still closed his eyes and spoke silently to her in his mind.

_"See you later, old friend."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes!!! Sorry this is so late everybody!! I've been pretty lately!!!  
> anyway, the next chapter will be the last chapter!! I hope you enjoyed this update!  
> EDIT! 8/31/17: I know the last chapter is late and I'm sorry for that! It's about halfway done so please be a bit more patient! However if you'd like to send me some nice anons of encouragement and motivation then you can visit my blog! [ Here it is! ](https://heroofhyrulelink.tumblr.com/) Another thing, once this fic is over and done with don't feel like that's it for this story! send in asks about Link and Sidon (or anyone) lives post-wedding! ask for mini fics for the ship! or just mini fics in general! I'd be glad to fulfill any request once this fic is done! 
> 
> EDIT!! 9/14/17: I PROMISE I'LL GET THIS CHAPTER UP THIS WEEKEND GUYS!!!!!!! So sorry for the long wait again!!! I think I may be pushing it off so i don't have to see this wonderful fic end :'(
> 
> Again, thank you all for being so patient! the next and final chapter will be out soon!


	25. Wedding

"Two days." Impa hummed as she ran her fingers through Link's hair, trying to pull out any twigs that kept mysteriously appearing. "Two days until Sidon can officially be dubbed Sidon Hyrule, Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Hyrule and you can be dubbed Link Hyrule, Prince Consort of the Zora Kingdom." The old woman plucked out a leaf before gently pouring water on Link's long locks. "It's quite funny how the Zora people don't have last names isn't it? I never understood that but I suppose it must have something to do with ancient traditions." Link nodded a little. He was not paying much attention to what Impa was saying in all honesty. In that secret room of the ancient heroes of Hyrule had found one of many books. The one he was reading seemed to offer smaller details on the former heroes. Their likes, dislikes, home life, that sort of stuff.

The Sheikah elder dragged the brush through the dirty blond hair and smiled. "Paya has commissioned for lovely new coat to be made for you for your wedding. She's really gotten invested in this entire event. To be frank I'm quite happy she hasn't taken this too hard. Her crush on you had me worried when you tasked her to help plan your wedding. But she has overcome any feelings of grief she's had. Don't tell her I said this but I have read her diary and she's confessed she likes you much better as a best friend than a spouse or anything like that. She's said that your rambunctious behavior would probably have killed her by now. Of course that's not meant to offend you." Link chuckled and set his book down for a moment to lift his hands up into the air so Impa could see and signed out his response.

_"I've read her diary too- don't worry."_  Impa laughed quietly.

The sound of Impa's quiet hums filled the room, joined with the noise of Link turning the ancient pages of heroes long since gone. The brush ran through his tangled, somewhat dirty hair and tried it's best to clean up the messy locks. When all was said and done, Impa made Link stand up so she could take a better look. She examined her work, made him turn in a circle and nodded.

"I've done the best I could to fix the mess you call hair. But no matter how hard my frail old hands try I cannot seem to get your hair to stay neat. But I suppose those wild strands are what makes you, you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a light blue band. "My my, your hair has grown quite a lot. It's nearly the length of your entire back. At this rate your ponytail will be as long as mine was when I was a young girl!" As she beckoned for him to kneel down so she can pull his hair into a perfect ponytail he stopped her.

_"I'd like to try something new."_  Impa raised an eyebrow. As Link flipped to a page in his book showing the Hero of Twilight in his more casual clothes. Several messy sketches of him in different angles were quickly drawn onto the paper by whatever oracle wrote this particular section.  _"If you believe you can do it- or if you think it'll even look good on me- I'd like to try his hairstyle. I don't know why but it just kind of stuck to me. To be pretty honest I admire him- me?- uh, that hero."_

"Hm." The Sheikah elder examined the pages and nodded slowly. "I'll go fetch some scissors and get started." Impa turned to leave but Link stopped her and pulled a pair out from a nearby drawer. Impa smiled and and took the scissors before motioning for him to sit down. "It's about time you take my advice and cut this mane of yours. It'll be a nice change and a great look dear. Just you watch." Impa glanced over at the many detailed drawings of the Twilight Hero before parting and preparing Link's hair.

-

Before any wedding of anyone in the royal Zora family a small ritual or sorts takes place. The Zora with the royal blood is the only participant and it is a long, tedious task. The ritual calls for the one to be married, Sidon the Zora Prince in this case, to do a lengthy amount of prayer. First, to Farore the Goddess of Courage. Sidon must pray to her and ask for the courage for the events that will soon take place as well as the courage to push through any negative obstacle, no matter how big or small. Next, he must pray to the Goddess Din, the Goddess of Power. His prayers to her will be ones asking for the power to keep his marriage and its bond strong forever after. Then prayers to Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, are put into place. He will ask her to share her wisdom in times of trouble, share her wisdom in times where he is unsure of his love for his spouse or unsure of what to do to fix any sort of problems. Finally, Sidon is to pray to the previous Zora rulers. He is to ask them to protect not only himself and his kingdom, but his new spouse. He is to ask them for their blessing and forever look out for the love of his life. When all prayer is done Sidon will be presented with the ancient Zora pearls used by the previous rulers used on their own wedding days to give to whomever he's marrying. However that's not the end of it! He must stay where he is and think long and hard over the life changing decision he is making. When is he allowed to leave? When the ancient spirits of the Zora see him to be completely confident in his decision.

All silver jewelry was taken off, including the rings given to him from link to symbolize engagement in a Hylian's tradition. When the sun began rising and Divine Beast Vah Ruta began letting out her loud cries to show the start of a new day, Sidon quickly made his way to one of the many waterfalls and swam upwards. The cave in which he was to pray in was separated from the rest of the Domain as to not cause any sort of interference. Its entrance was covered by a waterfall but upon nearing it the water split into two and pulled itself to the sides, much like a curtain would when being opened, to reveal the dark inside. Sidon gulped and slowly stepped onto the flat rocks barely peaking above the surface of the water that led inside. Once he was in the waterfall returned to normal and blue flames sparked to life all around the walls. The blue lights showed a large rock in the very center of the room. The Zora Prince hesitantly continued down the rocks to the much larger one and sat cross-legged on it.

"Alright," Sidon let out a deep breath, closing his eyes and clasping his hands together in a praying gesture before placing them on the center of his chest, "my time has come."

"I am Sidon, Prince of the Zora people and next in line for the throne. I have come before you, the Three Golden Goddesses and the spirits of Zora rulers, to pray for my marriage. Link Hyrule, a man of many miracles will soon become my husband. Link Hyrule; the man that has defeated evil in this life, in his past lives, and in his next lives, the very embodiment of Farore's divine courage, the Hero of the Kingdom of Hyrule, the very King of Hyrule, will forever become a part of the Zora family tomorrow when I am to marry him. I have come to pray for him, my Domain, our marriage, and myself."

"O Farore, Goddess of Courage. You and your sisters have all tasked Link with the role of a warrior, returning to fight a never dying darkness. He has won fights and proved himself victorious. He has the very courage you created. Now I am here, asking you for a shard of that courage. I ask you for courage in my decision, please lend me that power as I wake up tomorrow and doubts begin bubbling in the deepest parts of my brain. Please lend me that power when our bond seems to be broken beyond repair and none of us has the strength to fix it, lend me that power to fix problem without doubts in my mind." The wind whistled outside and Sidon was tempted to open his eyes. He restrained himself, however. It was a tradition to have the eyes firmly shut throughout the prayer session, if you opened them and witnesses the great spirits of the Goddesses while asking for their power it was rumored that the marriage would fail tremendously. That and you would possibly die because their power is too much for a mere mortal to witness.

"O Din, Goddess of Power. I ask you for your immense power in whatever way you see fit. You hold the key to helping me keep my marriage strong, stable, for no relationship is perfect. Your aid would help keep my bond strong, and if it is already strong then it shall make it stronger. I ask you to please, please, give us the strength to continue on in our later years whenever things may seem bleak." The wind picked up and Sidon took in a shaky breath before continuing.

"O Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom. You have a strong connection to my people. Wisdom has been passed down from one Hylian princess to the next. Now Link is the one with that power. I ask you to allow us a smidgen of that power in times of great crisis. Whether it may be something as major as us on the brink of dissolving our marriage to as minor as seemingly unimportant quarrels. Allow us a piece of your wisdom when we are at each other's throats, hollering at one another. Give us the wisdom to say the correct things, right our wrongs, fix our mess." The water surrounding him was now loudly slapping against the cave's walls and the rock Sidon was on before it all stopped completely. However Sidon wasn't finished yet.

"Ancient spirits of previous Zora rulers, Zora royals, answer my call and appear before me!" Sidon, keeping his eyes closed, repositioned himself so he was kneeling instead of sitting. "I have come to pray as many of you have before me. I have to come to pray for the guidance of the Goddesses and your blessing as well as protection. Link Hyrule, Hero of the land and King of Hyrule, will be the one I marry tomorrow. I ask you all, my ancestors, to protect this man. Watch over him the way you would your own kin for soon he will forever be a part of the Zora Royal family. Give us your blessing, show me that this marriage is meant to be, show me that no doubts come from myself or from my own bloodlines." There was a deafening silence in the cave. Sidon tried his best to keep his expression as blank as possible but he was sure he looked more like he was in pain than anything else.

The sound of water moving was the only thing that he could hear after a full minute of nothing. The Zora Prince opened his eyes to see pale blue balls of light floating around him as well as another, thinner rock, in front of him with the traditional Zora pearls. Sidon smiled and stretched an arm to grab the beautiful pearls before a blue light engulfed them. When it died down the pearls were adorning a golden neck piece, similar to the one Sidon often wore. He smiled and whispered a thank you before he reached for it again. Once the beautiful piece of jewelry was safe in his hands the rock lowered itself into the water. The prayers had ended but the light blue balls of light were still there. Now came the part where Sidon really thought of his decision. The mysterious magic of this secluded cave filled it up with water and left Sidon floating alongside the blue light balls. He held the pearls close to himself as he closed his eyes again and allowed his mind to wander to various thoughts of Link. 

As the Zora Prince floated in the peaceful waters of the somewhat far off cave the Zora people began packing small bags and diving into the waters of the East Reservoir to try to make the trip to Central Hyrule. Most of the domain's residents had left already and only a few remained. King Dorephan was one of the few who had not yet stood from his throne and began making the long trip to the castle. His personal guards and servants were still gathering some much needed items for himself and Sidon; jewelry, useful weapons (just in case) appropriate wedding attire, much needed food, etc. As they prepared the King was smiling softly and contently, his eyes closed and his body was relaxed.

King Dorephan believed the time would eventually come when his children married someone and became their own person. He supposed he always hoped they would remain children, Mipha and Sidon would rule side by side, as siblings. That was the plan Dorephan had in place for them. Then a strange young boy, a Hylian, had one day wandered into the Domain. He had no parents with him and no guardian either, he hadn't even come in the proper way! Some Zora found him trying to climb up the ladder up to the above-water palace. This was when Mipha took a liking to him. The two spent every second they could together whether it was exploring the grassy areas around the Domain, training with wooden weapons, or trying to fight off small ChuChus to something more relaxed such as running around the sparkling Domain and nearly tripping every adult Zora that dared cross their paths. These moments were the ones that made Dorephan realize he did not get to live out his mini-fantasy of Mipha forever being a child and be a fierce Queen. No matter though, Link seemed like a fine boy for his daughter. He wouldn't dare step on her destiny to become a qualified and formidable Queen of the Zora people. In fact, her marrying a Hylian could've boosted the relationship between the Zora and Hylians. Dorephan was content with that.

When Sidon came along and the current Queen of the Zora people died from protecting her own home from a particularly angry band of Lizalfos, Dorephan began to believe that things would never be as pleasant as he hoped. His only son would never be able to see, hear, touch, remember his own mother. Dorephan had lost the love of his wife. Mipha had lost a best friend, a parent, a role model. Things were hard but Dorephan did not give up. Once Sidon hatched from the pearly white Zora egg the air changed. While all of the Domain was overcome with grief of the loss of their Queen they changed to a somewhat happier tone when small baby Sidon first opened his gigantic yellow eyes and stared at his subjects. Mipha smiled for the first time since her mother died, as did Dorephan. Link, who hasn't visited in quite some time, began coming back regularly and spent more and more time with the Royal family. Everything seemed to be falling back into place.

A small frown flashed onto the Zora King's face as he remembered his daughter volunteering to pilot Divine Beast Vah Ruta. He remembered her bowing and promising Princess Zelda she'd fight for Hyrule until her last breath, she would be willing to die if it meant keeping her family and home safe. He remembered Mipha staying inside the Divine Beast for extended periods of time trying to control the thing. When she did return to the Domain she would collapse in exhaustion on the floor of the throne room. He remembered seeing her stressed and feeling hopeless when should just couldn't figure out how to work the damn elephant, he remembered giving his daughter a bright smile and pumping his fist into the air telling her not to give up, she would be amazing!

He remembered getting the news that the Calamity had won, Mipha was dead as were the other champions. Link included. All hope was lost.

Sidon was too young to fully grasp the fact that his sister was never coming him. When he did understand his screaming sobs were heart breaking and the pain resonated throughout the Domain. Dorephan felt helpless and much like a failure. He remembered believing that the Zora people would lose their Prince and King along with the Princess, the grief was so painful he believed Sidon and himself would die from it. 

Years would pass until Sidon became unusually chipper and enthusiastic, it was all a cover-up for the pain he felt. Years would pass until he would hear rumors of a blond and confused Hylian wandering around saving everyone from any harm, looking a bit too much like the fallen hero that fought along side the princess and rest of the champions a hundred years ago. Years would pass until Sidon sent out search parties for Link. The two would meet, Sidon's heart would skip a beat from the rush of excitement he felt at seeing an old friend and the light of hope. They would defeat Vah Ruta, free the trapped soul of the Mipha and continue their friendship. Dorephan would continue to believe that neither one felt any kind of romantic feelings or more he would be oblivious to that fact- Sidon was happy to see an old friend after all! Link was glad to have a companion as opposed to being alone at all times- until one day the new Hylian King would announce that he would begin courting his son and soon a wedding would be in place.

Looking back Dorephan didn't understand why he hadn't seen the signs sooner.

"Sir," one of his servants called out quietly, "All of Sidon's and your things have been prepared. I have been informed that Sidon, however, hasn't returned from the cave. I suggest you leave first given how much...slower your pace is. I am sure that he will be able to catch up with you once he finishes up." The King sighed and opened up an eye. 

"I presume you all decided among yourselves who would stay with me and who would stay with my son?" The servant nodded. "Ah, excellent. Let us be on our way then." Now came the real struggle.

Due to Dorephan's massive size and, of course, age standing up off of his throne was a challenge. His old bones and his weak knees made standing difficult but he managed. Once he was standing he now had to face...the door. With a groan he hunched over and just barely made it out. He had the doorway adjusted more than half a century ago, he knew he would grow to a massive size and just kind of guessed at how tall it should be. Now thinking about it, he should've went with his gut instinct and made the door at the most 45 feet tall instead of 30. 

"Sir, I suggest you dive down into the water from here. The water below is deep enough where you won't injury yourself with the bottom." Dorephan grunted and nodded, slowly walking to the...rather short wall and peeked over to the water down below. "There are several Zora waiting down below to assist you if you cannot swim up the surface. There is no need to worry."

"Worry? Hah!" The gigantic King leaned back, his back cracking. "In my younger days I would jump from the very top of the giant fish into the water! Just because I have gained a few years and haven't  been mobile doesn't mean that I've lost the one skill every Zora possesses!" The young servant of his stayed silent, not wanting to discourage her king. She stood back and held her breath as the gigantic Zora dove into the water. 

As he hoped, he still had the one skill every Zora had (swimming, obviously) and made it into the water safely. A gigantic splash- well more  _wave -_ reached the top of the Zora's above water domain. When Dorephan resurfaced he was laughing and hollering. He felt like a young man again.

"Your highness!" Dorephan looked down to see one of the armor clad Zora waving at him. "We will surround you while escorting you to Hyrule Castle. We have estimated that you will arrive no later than tonight." The Zora King smiled and nodded. He turned to look up at his beautiful domain, it sparkling in the day's light, before he resubmerged himself in the water and began his journey to Hyrule Castle. 

-

The very night before the wedding was quite hectic as one could imagine. Nearly all, if not all, the kingdom had made their way to Hyrule castle, Castle Town, and neighboring villages. While Link tried his best to fit literally all the kingdom in the castle he just couldn't. Luckily the residents in the neighboring villages were kind enough to let families sleep in their homes for the night. When all the homes were packed with families then they turned to the inns and when  _those_ were full, well, the remaining had no choice but to camp out in their rather small carriages. This was one of many problems for Link. 

Riju spent a better part of the evening with her and the other champions (minus Sidon of course) trying to teach Link how to dance. It turns out that in all his years of knightly training he never once learned how to properly slow dance. Of course this was an outrage- this was Link's wedding and he would do it right! So the Gerudo Chief took it upon herself to teach Link how to slow dance. It took many hours and a lot of yelling, irritated sighing, and having Yunobo dance with her as an example to have Link finally be at least somewhat decent at dancing.

When all that was done and the four were resting in the Sanctum, Teba cleared his throat and mentioned Link's much shorter hair and new hair style. Link smiled and with his disgustingly raspy voice explained his reasoning. The three champions were too shocked from hearing the Hyrulean King actually  _speak_ to respond. Link laughed and laughed at his friends surprised expressions and for the rest of the night they spent their time together asking odd questions about Link's ability to speak and Link refusing to speak again with a smug smile on his face. Eventually Impa came and, like a mother telling her child and their friends that it was time to sleep, commanded all the champions to return to their rooms. They had a big day tomorrow and couldn't afford a single person accidentally falling asleep. 

They bade one another good night and left, leaving Link in his room all alone. Even when Impa told Link to sleep he couldn't. So instead he got up and walked out  onto his balcony. As he looked out onto the horizon of his kingdom his eyes settled on a oncoming group. It didn't take much, not even in the dark, for Link to realize who it was. He smiled as he watched the tall red figure be led into the castle. Before Link himself could be seen, however, he quickly made his way back to his bed. A silent prayer and thank you to the Three Golden Goddesses later and Link had his eyes squeezed shut trying to invite sleep in. He just couldn't wait for tomorrow.

-

White was everywhere and it was  _blinding_.

The decorations were up, the sun was out and the sky was clear. It was a perfect day for a royal wedding. Paya was just setting up the last of the decorations and guests were already starting to fill in whatever amount of seats there were and almost all were already taken. Paya silently cursed herself for underestimating the sheer size of the entire kingdom and prayed that there would be enough room in at least Castle Town to accommodate this large amount of people for the celebratory party afterwards. 

While that went on the grooms-to-be were preparing themselves. Link was pulling on the beautiful clothes specially made for this occasion; a rather long white coat with repeated stitching of the Triforce and Zora symbol on the cuffs and ends. His shirt was tucked into the usual gigantic belt that displayed the Triforce but this shirt had some rather nice pearls as buttons and, again, the Zora symbol on it. This time it was a pin made of, you guessed it, pearls that was over his heart. His jewelry consisted mostly of pearls and gold with sprinkles of emeralds (to honor the Goddess Farore of course). The whole time Link was being dressed into these rather extravagant garbs he couldn't think of how...much it is. Then again it was his wedding day, he should be sporting pearls and showing them off and yelling  _"I'm marrying a Zora Prince! I'm marrying a Zora Prince!"_

Sidon's outfit consisted of mostly jewelry of course. The Zora people had no need for clothes, plus shiny metals and gems were far more beautiful than any cloth. The Zora Prince, however, sported a rather nice green sash with a sword stitched on. It was similar the one on Link's tunic except this sword had Farore's symbol on the blade along with a single triangle. His neck piece was made of gold and showed off the Triforce, emerald pieces decorating the area around it. His fingers were covered in rings made of pearls, his necklaces had diamonds and sapphires, his bracelets once again had the Triforce on it along with the Zora's Symbol. His crown (or headpiece) was similar to his father's, a sort of circle that rested on top of his head with some protruding parts that had held pearls in them, the only difference was that Sidon's headpiece had a nice ruby in center part. 

Sidon looked stunning and those helping put all this jewelry on him fawned over how gorgeous it all looked, how gorgeous he looked. Sidon stared at his reflection, a soft smile on his face. 

Paya walked in a moment later. Her hair was mostly put up in a bun for the exception of a couple strands hanging loosely in front of her face. The new style and ceremonial outfit made her look like a much younger version of Impa. She smiled and nodded. Sidon practically leapt out of his seat. It was time. The wedding was about to begin. 

Rushing through the castle covered in heavy jewelry while simultaneously trying not to bump into other rushing guests or wedding helpers was quite the hassle. Paya was gripping onto Sidon's gigantic hand so tightly and running so fast he was worried he would trip more than once! Luckily he didn't and no ring, bracelet, or necklace fell off either. When he was in position Paya did one final check before running off back into the castle to make sure Link was in position. Sidon was now alone (well as alone as one could be when surrounded by Zora guards) and awaiting the start of Kass' accordion which was the Zora Prince's signal to make his way to the alter. From where he was standing he could barely get a glimpse of it. Sidon knew that Link was probably seeing the same thing but on the opposite side of course. Paya's plan was to have the two of them walk at the same time to the alter that way they see each other at the same time. It was more romantic that way, the over excited Sheikah explained. 

Kass' accordion began playing and Sidon's breath stopped. He gulped and began walking, his loyal guards going at the same pace as him. The hundreds and hundreds of guests all rose and looked off at the directions where the two husbands-to-be came from. Sidon didn't dare look at anyone. He looked straight ahead and continued walking. Then he saw him, Link, and he looked like a living dream.

As cliche as it may seem Sidon would describe the next few moments of his life as this; the world around him faded away. Everything and everyone was a blur. Link was the one thing he focused on. A gigantic smile broke onto his face as the two of them continued walking to one another. Once they finally reached the alter the world came back into focus but it didn't matter. Sidon couldn't take his eyes off the most beautiful hylian in front of him. 

"The History of Hyrule," Impa's voice rang out loudly as the ceremony began, "Is often one looked at in pain. Our kingdom has faced death and disaster time and time again that our past is almost always one people want to forget. However, today we make history. Today will be a day everyone will fondly remember. For today is the day the King of Hyrule and Prince of the Zora are to be wed." The guests all cheered and clapped. Impa raised a hand and the crowd died down. 

"As you all know, marriage isn't to be taken lightly. Many people have come to me and asked me whether I believed Link was ready for such a large commitment. Their arguments have always been he's too young, he just woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection, he's  only acting on post Calamity feelings, he is too reckless for this kind of thing, he is too wild. Link himself has come to me with these same arguments. Doubts would fill his mind as he begged me to throw some sense his way. He would say that maybe he wasn't ready for marriage, he was too wild, maybe he wasn't meant to be in such a relationship, maybe he wasn't meant to marry royalty, maybe he wasn't meant to marry at all. To all those doubts of his and all those who doubted him I have one thing to say: Do not worry. If you were too wild I'm plenty sure that the Zora Prince would have gone running long before you realized your true feelings." The crowd laughed and Sidon gave a quiet chuckle. "If you were not meant to marry then the Golden Goddesses would have struck you down the moment such a thought entered your head. If you weren't ready to marry then you would not have marched yourself into King Dorephan's throne room to announce you wished to court his son. As for the being too young I doubt that is an issue, you being over one hundred after all."

"Marriage, as I was saying, is serious. It takes the patience and energy of both people. In this case, it took the patience of our own Zora Prince. Sidon, was the first of the two to realize his true feelings. With that came a great burden: getting Link to understand how he felt and pray that our painfully oblivious hero felt the same. The Prince is patient and he waited. He was there for Link when no one else was, when no one else could be. He was there to witness our king crack under pressure. He was there to witness our hero learn the dark truths of the heroes past. He was there when nightmares took over his sleep, when paranoia filled his mind, when stress overwhelmed him. He was there to see the parts of Link no one else in the Kingdom has. He was a friend, a shoulder to cry on, a pillar of support. He gave Link all his love, all his support, all of himself, and his never ending patience is now being paid." The guests all clapped, some of them crying a bit. 

"It is time for the two to exchange vows. Sidon will be the one to start." Impa stepped back and motioned for Sidon to begin speaking. The Zora nodded, cleared his throat, and began.

"Link..." Another deep breath. "Link, last night as I floated in the dark waters and thought of the obviously important decision I'm making I couldn't simply focus on the idea of marriage. I could only focus on you which may sound silly given the fact that I am marrying you but give me a moment to explain. I could only think of you and all the wonderful things I love. The way you get so confused with expressing feelings at times that you turn to having to defeat some sort of monster to show me how much you love me or doing the opposite and just blurting it out. The way you care for animals and treat them as if they were your own children! The way your eyes light up when you talk to me after a long day of exploring the home you love. The way your heart goes out to anyone you meet, the way you do anything it takes to ensure the happiness of your fellow Hylian, Zora, Rito, Gerudo, or Goron. Link, I know I have said this so many times before but you have gone through so much in your life. You have had countless battles and there is no doubt you will have countless more. But there is also no doubt you will win each and every one of them."

"When I look in those lovely blue eyes of yours I see the sky. The beauty, security, and mystery of it. I see eyes that have stared into the very face of evil. I see the tiring nights, the despair, the fear, and the power you have faced. I see the way you look at me with those beautiful blue eyes and my heart skips a beat because I know that you see me and often believe some magical and evil force will take me away and you feel the need to protect me. You would probably throw yourself into battle for me, but listen to me when I say don't do it. Not on your own at least. As of today you and I are one, if something were to threaten me, you, or the kingdom then we shall go off into battle together. We shall defeat the evil together, and we shall return victorious together." Paya walked up slowly a pillow with the neck piece Sidon was  given last night resting upon it. Sidon carefully picked the beautiful thing up and turned back to Link. "Normally a Zora royal is  given pearls to present to their spouse on their wedding day, however the ancient spirits of rulers since past have presented me with this lovely thing instead." The Zora knelt down and gently put the neck piece on Link. Link had tears in his eyes, he gently touched the neck piece and looked back up to Sidon with a smile. 

"Now, it is time for Link to begin his vows." Sidon stood back up and waited for Paya to step up to translate what Link would say. She didn't.

"Sidon..." The Zora's eyes widened as he looked down at Link. He was sure everyone else was looking at the Hylian King the same way. "I've been alive for more years than I can count. I've lost my memories, my friends, my family. I pretty much died then was revived by a magical bath and a long nap. When I first came to I was thrown into a seemingly impossible adventure. I was afraid, more afraid than anyone could possibly imagine. Even with the courage of a goddess my knees would buckle and my hands would sweat a the first sign of danger. But I guess that all kind of changed when I first met you."

"Going up the path to the Zora's domain was terrifying. At the time I was weak and barely had any decent weapons. All the monsters were electric based and it was raining. I was sure I was a goner. But I kept thinking about you and how you suddenly...showered me in such generous compliments and encouragement and I wasn't afraid. When we went out to defeat Vah Ruta you encouraged me to stay strong as I swam up the water and shoot arrows in the sky, I wasn't afraid. When I went in and battled the disgusting monster Ganon had made, I wasn't afraid. I kept thinking of you, your kind words, your strong belief in me. You gave me the true courage to continue." Sidon smiled softly, tears running down his cheeks. Link reached over and took the Zora's hands in his own before continuing. "You've been with me through so much. You've seen me at my worst and my best. You have had first hand experience of what I go through each and every day whether that day be me going out to endure nature and battle monsters or run a kingdom with no experience at all. You've learned all about  _me_ and  _my past_. You know all the dark secrets kept between me, the Goddesses, and the royal family and yet you still deem me a good spouse. You've taken a weapon for Hyrule that has been programmed to fight no matter what, that has no real way of dealing with emotions, that can't ever see himself as useful, and made him believe he is something extraordinary. Before waking up would be a struggle, I never wanted to do it because I hated being myself so much. But now, waking up isn't so bad when I know I have someone that is willing to help me, talk to me, work with me, and love me by my side. I can't promise that you and I will forever feel like the perfect couple and our marriage will be perfect forever. But I can promise you that together we'll fight whatever comes in our way. No matter how big, strong, difficult the obstacle or opponent may be, we'll get through it. Together." 

Sidon was crying, as were most of the guests. Link's way with words were...interesting. His voice wasn't as raspy as last night but it still sounded slightly strange but even then it didn't ruin the moment. Sidon didn't know if all that Link said would be the same if he hadn't told him vocally!

"And now," Impa stepped forward as Paya walked up with the rings, "comes the final part of the ceremony." The Sheikah girl handed the two their rings. "Do you, Link, King of Hyrule and Hero of the Goddess, take Sidon, Prince of the Zora, as your lawfully wedded husband. Do you swear to the Goddess Hylia that you will forever bind yourself to him and keep him safe, be with him no matter what?" 

"I do." Link smiled, tears now running down his cheeks as he placed the golden ring on Sidon's finger."

"And do you, Sidon, Prince of the Zora, take Link, King of Hyrule and Hero of the Goddess, as your lawfully wedded husband?  Do you swear to the Goddess Hylia that you will forever bind yourself to him and keep him safe, be with him no matter what?"

"I do." Sidon could barely keep his voice loud enough for everyone to hear as he slowly slid the ring onto Link's finger.

"And do the two of your promise to work together as the new Kings of Hyrule as well as future rulers of the Zora Domain. Do you promise to keep the peace in our kingdom, to protect everyone, to do everything in your power to protect the land the Goddess Hylia and the Three Golden Goddesses Farore, Din, and Nayru created?"

"We do." The two said in unison. They gripped on another's hands tightly, eagerly waiting the next phrase.

"With the power bestowed upon me by the Goddesses I now pronounce the two of you husband and husband, Kings of Hyrule, future Kings of the Zora Domain. You may now kiss." 

Link leapt onto Sidon and clung onto him as he kissed his husband passionately. Sidon was half expecting this and held onto his hylian husband, kissing him back and sealing their marriage. The guests cheered loudly. They stood and clapped. But neither Link nor Sidon could hear them. Everything melted away again. All that mattered in the moment was the two of them in that moment.

-

The celebratory party after the wedding went smoothly, as Paya hoped. There was plenty of food to go around and plenty of cake as well (she had ordered at least 150 cakes just to be sure, she was feeding an entire kingdom after all!). Yes, the Goddesses had blessed her and now Paya had the time to relax and enjoy the things she's been planning for months. Everyone congratulated her more than they did the newly married couple! This didn't bother either of them, however. Sidon and Link both felt like their Sheikah friend deserved the praise. They made note to properly pay her back very very soon.

The two were inseparable throughout their party. Their hands were constantly clasped in one anothers as they spoke to friends. The other three "new" champions were the first to talk to them. Teba gave Link and Sidon a big speech about marriage and how it was two halves working together. Riju congratulated them and said she expects any future daughters or even pets to be named after her. Yunobo was so happy he was still crying as he hugged the two of them. Next came the royalty or leaders, whatever they were referred to in their respective homes. Bludo  bellowed out how proud he was that Link found someone he could fight evil with. Kaneli proclaimed that if the two needed the perfect place for a honeymoon, the Rito Village was always a beautiful place. Riju stopped by  _again_ to make sure Link and Sidon understood that a daughter or pet had to be named after her. King Dorephan slowly lumbered over and with tears in his eyes wished the happy couple a life full of perfection. 

It was like that for the better half of the day. People went up to the two, congratulated them, gave them their wedding present and ran off to join the party. When all that was done, Link and Sidon got a moment to breathe before Riju yanked them out to have their first dance together. It was, obviously, a slow dance. The Gerudo Chief stayed nearby, dancing with Yunobo, to watch Link. As expected he wasn't perfect but it was enough to make Sidon feel like a God and make Link feel like he wasn't stumbling around. 

Hours later as the sun began to set the party was still in full swing. Riju had finally returned the Sheikah Slate to Link. He had asked her to take pictures throughout the day so Pikango could later turn them into beautiful paintings. Link and Sidon went through the photographs and smiled at each one of them (Link silently praised himself for asking Purah to upgrade his Sheikah Slate to allow him to take a lot more pictures). As the two smiled and laughed at the pictures, Link looked up to Sidon's beautiful face, his own smile turning softer. The Hylian King stood up and pulled his husband away from the crowd, away from the party, and into the castle. 

Link didn't speak until they had reached the very top of the castle where the Sanctum was. The two stood by the wall and looked down at the party below.

"I can't believe its happened." Link said breathlessly, still staring off at the horizon. "We got married."

"It is quite a big moment in our lives." Sidon agreed, squeezing his husbands hand. "I have to say, never in a thousand years did I think I would marry someone as divine as you." Link blushed. "May I ask why you chose to speak today? Not that I'm complaining. Your voice is magnificent."

"I'm sure you already know this but the only reason why I stopped speaking was because I was always so stressed and pressured to be perfect. To be the hero of everything. I was scared. One day it all got to me and I just couldn't get the energy to speak. Ever since then I haven't been able to talk. But now...with you all that melts away." Link smiled. There were tears in both their eyes for the about tenth time that day. 

"Sidon," Link rubbed his husband's hand with his thumb, "I love you."

"I love you too, Link." Sidon whispered. 

The two kissed. In each others arms they felt happier than they've ever been. They felt whole. In that moment the whole world melted away once more as the they shared an unforgettable moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT'S IT EVERYONE!  
> I hope you all enjoyed the final chapter! It's been a very long time but It was worth it! If you want to check out more of my writing click on my page or follow my wattpad @KarkatVantabulous ! Or if you'd like to request post-wedding ficlets or ask for post-wedding headcanons send in some asks to my tumblr @heroofhyrulelink ! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and this fic! Thank you all for reading!


	26. After Ending: New Additions to the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A post-fic chapter! A couple people asked for something like this, where Sidon & Link manage to have children (adopting, in case you're wondering) so I managed to make this! don't be fooled, this is more than a simple "let's adopt kids" chapter. 
> 
> thank you to all who read this and support me! Happy reading!

"You shouldn't let the gossip get to you, my dear." Sidon hummed as he placed every single piece of jewelry away for the night. "You and I both know that there is no possible way for us to conceive a child, especially not a child with the divine blood of the goddess Hylia." Link grunted rather loudly and continued to, rather violently, polish the savage lLynel crusher he had managed to snag out of the hands of the silver beast. The weapon was already spotlessly clean, Link could see his own upset reflection staring right back at him, but he still continued rubbing it with the rag in his hand. 

"Link," Sidon sighed and sat besides his husband, "Wasn't it you that had reassured me that the Goddesses had a plan for the next goddess blooded princess? I seem to recall you rolling your eyes and waving my own worries away while stating that you had complete faith in the Three Golden Goddesses. Now its a year later and you hear one person mention the fact that there is "no heir and no mortal Goddess" and suddenly you're throwing all faith out the window!" The Hylian King stopped his cleaning and crossed his arms, looking away from Sidon.

"I don't like to see you this upset. Especially not over something so small and so...fixable." The giant Zora Prince  wrapped an arm around Link and pulled him closer. When Link didn't respond to the affection Sidon sighed and stood up before picking Link up from under his arms, much like how someone would pick up a small animal or child. The Hylian King glared at Sidon but Sidon merely smiled back. "Cheer up, my pearl. The Goddesses have not let us down once, I'm quite certain they won't let us down now. Besides," the zora prince brought his spouse closer and placed a gently kiss to his lips, "Such a heartbreaking expression should never make its home on your beautiful face." Link blushed darkly and attempted to keep his upset face but it didn't last long. Soon he was smiling and looking at anything besides Sidon so his smile wouldn't grow.

_"You're cheating you know."_  Link signed as his Zora husband set him back down onto the bed.  _"Using your smooth talk to get me to feel better is considered cheating and you should feel rather ashamed of  yourself."_

"Now why should I? You yourself have said that in battle you must use everything you can to win. No holding back." Link couldn't argue with that logic.

The rest of the night was spent in bed, the two of them talking about anything they could think of. Link's hair had grown back to where he could have a pony tail again, Sidon had learned more and more about his ancestors with Hyrule Castle's extensive library (he had learned that the zoras of old had used their arm fins as some sort of weapon which was pretty cool, he wished to see if it was still possible), Link had to go up to the Eldin Tower Region to speak with Bludo about some odd increase of Lynels in the area, and Sidon was to meet with Riju to catch up with her. When their small talk had returned to the more serious topic of whether or not they would ever have a goddess blooded child Sidon sighed, pulled Link close and kissed his forehead. He reminded the King that everything would work out. He had to have faith.

"Although," Sidon mumbled a moment after convincing Link that everything would work out, "It would be nice to have a child." He leaned over and put out the light of their bed-side candle before snuggling closer to his husband and continuing. "It would be a dream to raise a child- or even children- with you, my love. Anyway, sweet dreams." Sidon closed his eyes and sighed contently. Link, however, did not close his eyes and to sleep soundly. Instead the Hylian King was now more awake than ever, panicking slightly. Now he knew for a fact that Sidon wanted a children (or children) and Link wasn't about to let his husband down.

-

"We've been seeing Lynels a lot lately, Goro." Yunobo mumbled as he walked Link through the entrance of Goron City. "It's gotten kind of scary to be honest...I-I know that I have Lord Daruk's shield power but...still. Lynels are fierce monsters, Goro!" Link nodded, adjusting his crown. He decided to not wear the usual fireproof suit one would wear if visiting Death Mountain. Instead he chugged about three fireproof elixirs and deemed himself good to go. "These Lynels..." Yunobo continued, rubbing the back of his neck, "I dunno. They're...scarier. They look like they're a different color but Boss says it's just the, uh, "fire in the air". I don't believe him, Goro. Somethings kind of off. But then again that's what you're here for!"

_"Don't worry."_  Link signed.  _"I'll fix the problem. Lynels are a piece of cake."_ The young Goron smiled and thanked his friend, offering him a word of encouragement before finally pointing him in the direction of the Goron Boss, Bludo. Link hurried over, wanting to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Bludo explained the situation, all around the outskirts of Death Mountain there have been multiple reports of Lynel sightings. Bludo estimated a total of six Lynels surrounded the area, mostly silver ones. There was one, however, that people thought to be a weird yellow sort of color. Bludo stated that he believed it was probably the fiery air of Death Mountain making it look like that since that particular Lynel happened to be closer to the volcano than the rest. Link nodded, thanked Bludo for the information, and got straight to work.

Normally this would be a job for the soldiers trained to handle these overpowered monsters but Link didn't want to risk anything. So many Lynels...he didn't think even the best of his soldiers could handle six Lynels. Plus Link missed the adventure.

He headed to the stable that rested at the foot of the Eldin Region and asked the stable manager of people that had gone out during the night (to keep an eye out for them, just in case). The manager reported that only a small group had gone. Two hylian adults and four children. But they had left early yesterday evening and were heading towards the hot springs located behind the mountain. That was a relief.

He got on with his task, visiting Robbie's Tech Lab to purchase a few ancient arrows (Robbie only allowed Link to buy three, he spouted something about upgrading the arrows so he needed as many as possible) before beginning his search for the Lynels.

It was easy work. Within an hour Link had found and defeated one silver Lynel without trouble. He continued his search, using the weapons Sidon had given to him when he first proposed as well as some other ones Link has been hoarding since he first woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection. When he defeated the fifth silver Lynel most of his weapons were broken and useless. No matter. He had all three ancient arrows. The last beast would be the fastest to kill.

He spent a good two hours searching for the final foe and so far he had no luck. He checked and double checked his Sheikah Slate, making sure the tracking for Silver Lynels was on, and attempted "activate the animal instincts" he supposedly developed while traveling alone. Nothing happened.

Link was beginning to lose hope. Perhaps someone had already defeated the last Lynel? That was unlikely but it wasn't impossible. He continued his search. He reached the point where there was rocks mixing in with ruins of old villages. Hardened lava made up the ground and a cliff leading to certain death was in eye sight. Still, he saw no sign of a Lynel and decided that maybe getting up on higher ground would help. So he begun climbing the mountain side and carefully jumped from ledge to ledge, keeping an eye out for any sign of the monster.

A screech pierced through the air and Link looked around wildly in search of the source. Just in front of the Eldin Great Skeleton was a small group that Link only assumed to be the ones who had left the day before. They were backing away from an usually large Lynel (nearly twice as big as any silver one) with weird gold skin.

Link began sprinting down the side of the mountain, pulling out his bow and ancient arrows. One of the two hylian adults was injured and on the ground, trying their best to drag themselves away from danger. The other adult had pushed the crowd of children behind them, shield up. The Lynel raised its gigantic crusher and just as the injured hylian prepared for the worst, the other dove and raised the shield in a feeble attempt to deflect the weapon.

The monster didn't even hesitate to swing and knock both hylians off the side of the cliff and to both their dooms.

Another loud shriek was heard and the Lynel focused on the group of four children. Link began running even faster. He jumped off a small ledge and aimed in midair he aimed and shot the ancient arrow.

It had no affect.

Link's heart sank. The beast didn't even seem bothered by the fact that it was just hit by an arrow. The children continued backing up as the Lynel slowly went forward. He was nearly there. Nearly there...

The monster's pace quickened as it raised it crusher once more. Just a little farther.

Link hastily yanked the Sheikah Slate off of his hip, running faster, and quickly pressed on the stasis option. He aimed the Slate and pressed it once more. The Lynel was frozen in time but only for a short while. When the stasis wore off and the golden beast turned to look at what caused his momentary stop, Link was already there. With the strength of Lord Daruk, the tiny hylian king successfully tackled the monster to the ground. Not a second later and Link had stood up once more, ran to the frightened children, scooped all four of them up into his arms and began sprinting towards the skull of the Eldin Great Skeleton. Once they were safely hidden from the Golden Lynel, Link got a good look at the kids. The eldest looked like a Gerudo, she carried a baby Goron in her arms and holding onto both of her arms was a silver Zora and a blue feathered Rito.

"Stay here." Link said as he handed the shield to the Zora child. Before any of them could respond Link had already pulled out his sword and was sprinting towards the enraged Lynel. He already knew that this monster would probably impossible to beat, if it didn't instantly disintegrate when hit with an ancient arrow then a sword wouldn't do any damage.

Link dodged a swing of the giant crusher and got an idea. If Link couldn't hurt the monster with his weapons, maybe the Lynel's own weapons would be enough to hurt it. It would be risky, so very risky, but he had to deal with this monster before anyone else got killed.

Link dodged again, pulled the Slate off of his hip and froze the Lynel for a split second before unfreezing him and snapping his fingers. The lighting struck the golden monster and it dropped its over-sized weapon to the ground. The Hylian King ran to the crusher and froze the Lynel once more before picking up its weapon. It was admittedly heavy, but the adrenaline of the battle gave Link that extra bit of strength. He began hitting the frozen beast like crazy and once the stasis wore off, the Lynel was flying off the edge of the ground and down into the chasm where its earlier victims lay dead. The battle was over and Link's adrenaline was gone.

The four children watched the hold thing, heads poking out the side of the giant skull. Link took a moment to catch his breath before he walked back to the four kids, dragging the Lynel's weapon behind him.

"That...was  _so cool!"_  The silver-scaled Zora girl exclaimed, running towards Link. "The way you just-just  _tackled_  it!! Then you used _lightning!!_  And you  _froze_ it!! And you used its own weapon to-to  _smack it dead!!"_ Link smiled. "Oh! I'm Cilia! That's Nanju." She pointed to the Gerudo who was clutching a Goron baby in her arms. "The little Goron she's carrying is Derun. And he," She pointed to the Rito boy, "is Areli."

"You're...the King." Nanju asked, tilting her head. Link nodded again. "Thank you. For saving us."

"Anytime." The Hylian King took his shield back from Cilia, patting her head. "I'm just sorry I couldn't save your parents."

"Those two," Areli sighed, "weren't our parents. Just a couple of delusional hylians that got too excited at the idea of looking like the kingdom's heroes for collecting orphans and finding them homes." The Rito boy shrugged before speaking again. "But they did offer us food and protection for a short while so I suppose their death is somewhat tragic." The other two solemnly nodded in agreement. Link blinked and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Right, well...I suppose I should take you all...uh, to the springs? I was informed by the Foothill Stable manager that you all were going there."

"Yes, in hopes of finding a home for Derun but none of the Gorons there wanted to adopt him. They brought us too look at the skeleton and cheer us up." Nanju sighed. "Now we have no where else to go." Link thought for a moment. He supposed he could take them all with him to Hyrule Castle while he finds suitable caretakers.

"I hope you don't mind the long trip to the Central Tower Region because I'm bringing you all to the Castle with me." Link took Derun from Nanju's arms and held onto him, beginning to walk.

"What?!" Cilia's tail flapped happily as she ran besides Link. "We get to stay in the Castle?! With you?! And Prince Sidon!! Will I meet him??" Link smiled and nodded.

"Will we really get to stay in Hyrule Castle?" Nanju's eyes practically sparkled at the idea of getting to stay in such an extravagant castle after spending so much time in cold caves and makeshift tents.

"Of course." With his free hand Link unhooked his Sheikah slate again and opened up the map. "I usually travel by shrines. I can get anywhere in Hyrule with the Sheikah Slate. Up until a few months ago I couldn't bring anyone else along because it only worked for the, uh, "chosen hero", but Robbie and Purah recently upgraded it so I can have people join me. But...there's a lot of us so I won't make it take us too far. Just in case." Link swiped a finger across the screen of the slate, looking for a shrine a good distance away. "Alright, everyone hold onto me." They all did, grabbing onto Link as tightly as they could. A moment later they became nothing but blue light floating up into the sky and vanishing.

A second passed and suddenly they appeared at a shrine not too far from the South Akkala Stable.

Cilia squealed and turned to face Link with wide eyes. Nanju blinked, confused at what had just happened. Areli was the only one that spoke.

"What  _was_ that? What happened? How'd we get  _here_?" Areli questioned, looking at Link for answers. Link smirked and patted the Sheikah Slate that had been returned to its place on his hip.

"The Slate is connected to the shrines and towers scattered around Hyrule. With this, I can go anywhere I wish." He shifted Derun in his arms before he began walking. "Come on, we have a long way to go." The three children stood there in shock for a moment longer before running after Link and attacking him with question after question.

They spent the rest of the day walking along the dirt path that led to Hyrule Castle. Link, of course, was going to travel via Sheikah Slate again, he wouldn't dare make these kids walk all the way to Hyrule Castle, he was just taking precautions just in case. He couldn't have the slate suddenly stop working while teleporting and have them all stuck in whatever blue light took them. Besides, Link enjoyed spending time with these kids.

Areli, the Rito, resembled Revali in some ways. They were both somewhat cold towards people and both were very confident in their flight skills. Other than that, however, Areli was an entirely different being. Areli, unlike Revali, seemed more of a silently judge kind of person. He was quiet for a good while after they began their long walk but he seemed to be warming up to Link. He even spoke about his past and explained that he didn't want to become a Rito Warrior but at the very same time he did. He held a grudge against every monster out in Hyrule, especially the Talus'. When he was just a young Rito, barely able to fly, his parents took him up to the Hebra Mountains to enjoy the snow and spend a quiet afternoon together. Unfortunately that night took a turn for the worse when an Ice Talus emerged from the snow and killed the two of them. Areli was barely able to escape. He spent two days alone out in the cold before those two Hylians found and took him in. Since then he made up his mind and promised himself that he would do anything to protect the one place he could still consider a home even if he hasn't been there in quite some time and had no living family there.

Nanju, a young Gerudo, was only a couple years younger than Riju. Nanju seemed somewhat stoic, but she warmed up to Link almost as fast as Areli did. She talked about her travels with the other three kids, what she liked (sweets and fruits) and what she disliked (pesky bugs) and even of her life before. She was sent out into the Kingdom with her father so she could experience life outside of Gerudo Town. A week after their trip began, she found out her father had joined the Yiga Clan. When he fell asleep one night she took matters into her own hands and with a small knife she got rid of another threat to Hyrule. After that she wandered on her own for a while until she finally made it back to the desert. When she did she heard that her mother was taken out by members of the Yiga Clan. She left Gerudo Town again, never wanting to return. One day she bumped into Areli and he introduced the two hylians taking care of him to her. She became an official member of their little group after that.

Cilia, the silver scaled Zora, was the brightest of the bunch. Link commented that she reminded him a lot of Sidon and how positive and happy he is. She opened up almost immediately,  stating that hearing Nanju and Areli talk so openly gave her the confidence to do so as well. Both her parents had disappeared. It's what people told her. One day the two of them had gone out to explore the sea beyond Hyrule's boundary and they haven't returned since then. That was over a year ago. On the anniversary of their disappearance, Cilia gave up waiting for them. She felt like a burden on the Zora people that took turns taking care of her so she left. With nothing but a few rupees and a small bag of fish she swam down the waterfalls and through the rivers until her body was sore from swimming. It was Nanju that found her, passed out at the shore of a river. They took her in and she has been with them ever since.

"Derun," Nanju began after she peeked over at the Goron child sleeping in Link's arms, "was abandoned. We found him while we were making our way through the Akkala Region we found him half-buried under some leaves. That's why we went to the springs behind Death Mountain...the two hylians taking care of us decided not to go to Goron City because Derun's parents would probably be there and..." Nanju sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."

They walked silently for a minute. Link wasn't exactly sure what to do or say. These kids were all so...unlucky, to put it lightly.

"Don't you usually, I dunno, not talk?" Areli broke the silence and interrupted Link's thoughts. "Even when you're giving your kingly speeches and whatnot you...do sign language and have that Sheikah girl translate. Why are you speaking so much now?" The three of them looked up at Link curiously. Cilia tilted her head.

"It's true, I'm more...comfortable not actually talking and signing, but this way it's easier to speak with you three. Since you're kids. And it's not that big a deal for me anymore. Verbally speaking, that is." Link chuckled. "I remember...just last year, maybe a little longer, I couldn't bring myself to speak to anyone. It was a gigantic effort for me to say a simple hello."

"But why?" Nanju asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, when I first woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection I didn't exactly remember how to talk so there's that." Link grinned and the three giggled. "But in all seriousness, I couldn't talk. The weight of the world was on my shoulders, I didn't want to let anyone down. I didn't want anyone to believe I was incapable of protecting them and Hyrule. So I stayed quiet. And when I defeated the Calamity and...Zelda died I still stayed quiet. I had failed to protect the Princess and true savior of Hyrule and couldn't...talk to people knowing that they believed I was the one who saved everyone when it was her. I felt too guilty to speak. Even before I went into my hundred year sleep I couldn't speak. The fate of Hyrule was on my shoulders and the crushing weight of it was getting to me."

Silence fell on the group again. Now it was Areli, Cilia, and Nanju who didn't know what to say. They looked at one another, then at Link. Link didn't notice them, he was lost in thought and staring straight ahead. Nanju hesitantly raised a hand and placed it on Link's shoulder.

"I don't believe that was your fault, Princess Zelda dying. The Goddesses must have had that planned for her already. There was nothing you could do." Link blinked, surprised by the sudden contact and consolation. Then he smiled slightly and nodded.

"Thank you for saying that." Nanju nodded and removed her hand.

Conversation after that wasn't so awkward. The three kids asked Link questions about his favorite food, color, weapon, area in Hyrule, etc. Link showed off the powers granted to him by the previous Champions and re-told the amazing stories about how he and the new Champions defeated the four corrupted Divine Beasts and freed the spirits of the old Champions.

When night had fallen, Link was lucky to run into a travelling merchant. He bought food for the kids, letting all four of them eat and rest up in a nearby forest. While they did that, Link also bought a few of hylain hoods (much to the merchant's confusion) and proceeded to tie them all together. When he was certain they were tightly tied to one another he removed his shield and the gigantic Lynel weapon (yes he still had it with him, he wasn't just going to let a perfectly good weapon go to waste!) from his back and placed them on the ground. He wrapped the tied up hoods around his chest and stared at the two items he had placed on the floor. The shield was easy, he was just going to tie it besides the Sheikah Slate. The gigantic Lynel crusher however... that was a bit more difficult. He struggled for a good while but eventually he was able to also attach that too to his belt. Yes it would be uncomfortable and it would be dragged on the ground but oh well. That was a small price to pay.

When the kids all grew bored and were ready to continue their long walk they went back to the Hylian King who was eagerly awaiting them. He took a now awake Derun and placed him in the front of his makeshift sash. Cilia climbed into the back, giggling at the very thought that the King of all of Hyrule was carrying her on his back.

"Isn't this too much weight for you?" Areli asked as he and Nanju clambered into Link's open arms. "The two of us are older, we can walk."

"I know that." Link stood up when both of them were sitting on one arm each. "I also know that when I was on my own walking through Hyrule I wished I could have someone carry me." He began walking. "There's a lot of areas where horses can't go, you know. Plus the sun is setting. Just because I risk my sleep schedule to keep wandering around doesn't mean you all have to."

"Thank you." Cilia yawned, closing her eyes. "You're so nice to us. I hope one day we all have parents as nice as you..." She closed her eyes and began drifting off to sleep as did the other three. Link continued walking, smiling silently to himself.

-

The very next morning the four of them woke up to the sunlight hitting their faces and a dog barking rather loudly. They were in separate beds in what looked like a stable. Link was talking to a merchant with a beedle-shaped backpack. When he noticed the four of them awake he said goodbye to the merchant and walked to them.

"Good morning." Link smiled. "We're at the Woodland Stable. We should be able to get to the castle today but we have to leave soon." The four of them nodded slowly got out of bed. Link handed them plates of what looked like wildberry crepes. They ate excitedly, talking about what they thought the castle would be like. Link chuckled and listened, feeding Derun his share of crepes. When all the food was gone they continued their walk.

With every step they took they got even more excited. Hyrule Castle was getting closer and closer and they were all practically running towards it. Even Derun, who hardly understood what was going on, was excitedly babbling and pointing at the castle.

When they entered Castle Town their excitement finally reached its peak. Cilia and Nanju grabbed both of Link's hands and excitedly dragged him down the roads, squealing at everything they saw. Areli flew close and pointed out things he saw from above. The residents of Castle Town bowed knelt down and bowed in the presence of their King, slightly confused why he had four children with him. Finally, Link was being dragged to the entrance of Hyrule Castle. The two guards opened up the doors for the King and his...young guests and the five of them walked in.

"Grandma, please calm down!" Paya exclaimed as she followed behind Impa who was walking at top speed towards Link. Cilia and Nanju stopped abruptly and quickly hid behind Link, peeking out from behind his arms. Areli lowered himself from the air and stood besides Cilia.

"You!" Impa stopped, not yet noticing the four children so closely attached to Link. "You had half the kingdom worried sick over you."

_"Why?"_ Link reverted back to signing out his words. He tilted his head and continued.  _"I told you I was going out to fix the Lynel issue that Bludo asked about."_  Impa glared at Link.

"That was yesterday morning. Since then there has been no sign of you. At first I believed that maybe you took that time to go out and get rid of whatever energy you had considering how antsy you get but..." She snapped and another member of the Sheikah tribe came up, holding Link's crown on a pillow. "When it got late Sidon sent out a Rito soldier to scout the area. He returned with your crown. It was so close to the edge of the cliffs that...we all believed the worst." _Oh_. Link chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Link?!" They all turned to look at Sidon who was standing at the door at the opposite side of the room. "Link!" The Zora Prince smiled widely and began running towards his husband with open arms. Link opened up his arms and was about to prepare for the big hug coming but then he remembered. The kids. Link looked down at Derun, who was sleepily looking up at him. Sidon would crush the poor little guy if Link didn't do something. So, he panicked and activated Daruk's Protection. Sidon skidded to a halt, confused as to why Link suddenly shielded himself from Sidon's hug.

"Oh my Hylia is this is so cool!" Cilia jumped out from behind Link and pressed her face against the glowing red shield surrounding them all. "Look! Areli look! Nanju!! Derun!! It's Prince Sidon!! Look! Look!"

Nanju and Areli, having gotten over the short moment of fear with, walked to Link's sides and stared in awe at the interior of the castle. Nanju took Derun out of the front of the sash and held him up high so he could see as well.

"Link," Impa blinked, "who...who's kids are these?" Link laughed nervously again.

_"I'll explain it later. Please give me some time to rest first. Oh, and I need to head to my study right away."_  Link took the hands of Nanju and Cilia and began quickly walking out of the room. Areli, who had begun flying so he could see everything, quickly caught up and sat himself on Link's shoulders. The group left Sidon, Paya, and Impa with their mouths open and eyes wide, all confused at what they were seeing.

As they walked through the castle's long hallways, Link answered every question asked to him. Who's painting was that? What's in that room? Why does the armor for this soldier look different than that one? Where do those stairs lead? Finally they reached the library and Link used the Sheikah Slate to remove a metal bookcase and reveal the secret study that Link had been using. The kids all gasped when they saw this and ran inside, gawking at the secret room. Link chuckled and told them to be careful before pulling out a piece of paper and a quill. He sat down and began writing furiously, explaining in great detail everything about the mysterious gold Lynel he fought yesterday.

Not long after he began writing Cilia squealed and announced that Sidon was coming. Link looked up and smiled for a second before he continued his work. The four kids quickly ran up to the Zora Prince before he could even get near Link's secret study.

"Hi!" Cilia was practically jumping up and down from excitement. "I'm Cilia!! I'm a zora like you! That's Areli, Nanju, and the baby is Derun!" Sidon smiled and bowed.

"Hello all, I'm Prince Sidon." They giggled and bowed as well. "Might I ask, where did Link...find you?"

"He defeated a super weird gold Lynel to save us!" Cilia exclaimed. Nanju nodded and handed the silver Zora Derun, who was babbling to himself again.

"I have to admit, it was really cool!" Nanju backed away as she spoke. "The two hylians trying to protect us got knocked off the cliff and the Lynel was walking towards us when he froze it in time!" She stopped backing away. "Then he ran from the mountain and-!" Nanju began running straight to Areli who didn't react fast enough and was tackled to the ground. "He tackled the giant Lynel and grabbed us all and hid us before he went back and-!"

"And he used lightning!" Cilia cut off Nanju and jumped on one of the tables, snapping her fingers the way Link did when he summoned the power that Urbosa had granted him. "Then he froze the Lynel again and picked up its giant weapon and started hitting it then the Lynel flew off the cliff!" Cilia hopped off the table helped Areli to his feet.

"Y-Yeah." Areli brushed his feathers off. "Then we started walking over here. Link- oh, uh, I mean the King? He said we could stay here." Sidon nodded and looked up, seeing Link quickly walk out of his study with two envelopes in hand. He handed them both to a nearby guard. Link signed some instructions to the guard but Sidon was only about to catch Robbie and Purah's names. When that was done, the Hylian King walked to his husband and the four children he rescued.

"Okay," Link spoke, clapping his hands together, "I heard you guys told Sidon what happened. Great." The four of them smiled brightly. "Now I'm hungry and I'm sure you're all hungry so let's all go to the dining hall, shall we? There I'll have the chance to explain to Impa what happened yesterday and you all can introduce yourselves. After that I can take you exploring around the castle but if you want to explore Castle Town you'll have to go with Paya since I need to...decide what will happen to you guys."

"Decide what will happen to us?" Nanju asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means...that I need to figure out how to find suitable parents for you guys. You can't spend your lives wandering the Kingdom. We all see how that turned out..."

"But...can't we stay here?" Cilia asked, her eyes big and sad. "I like it here! And I like being with you! You're super cool and nice." Link chuckled and patted the zora girl's head.

"I need to talk to Impa. Just...don't worry about any of that for now, okay? Just have fun and we'll see what the Goddess' plans are." Link smiled a bit and that seemed to ease most of their worries. Nanju and Cilia wasted no time in taking Link's hands once more and dragging him out the room. Areli was holding Derun and struggling to keep up to them.

-

Lunch was fun for the four kids. They ate more than they had in the time they spent traveling the kingdom. With every extravagant dish that was carried out on a silver platter their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. The scarfed down plate after plate of meat, rice, sushi, soup, and desert. 

The whole time they talked to the others, the children came to realize that Impa was not just some scary woman from earlier but was the nice Sheikah Elder who was technically only a year or two older than Link. Paya introduced herself to be Impa's granddaughter as well as next in line to be the Sheikah Elder. Sidon reintroduced himself and added in some small things about himself, offering to take the children out to the village so Link, Paya, and Impa could work in peace. They eagerly accepted the offer.

Impa eventually asked how Link had "stumbled upon" the four of them. Cilia practically jumped up at the question. She began retelling the tale (again) of how Link had defeated the gigantic Lynel (this time  _she_  tackled Areli to the ground) and walked them all to Central Hyrule. Impa chuckled as she watched Nanju and Cilia compete to finish the story. Areli butted in a couple times, adding in smaller details that the two girls missed.

When their meals were finished and the stories were done, Sidon gathered the four of them, taking Derun in his arms, and kissed Link goodbye before he took them all out on a day of fun in Castle Town.

"What is your plan?" Impa asked when they had all left the dining hall. "With the children, I mean." Link shrugged.

_"I need to find homes for them. I'd like to keep them all together. It's obvious they've grown close and it would be horrible if I suddenly separated them."_ Impa nodded.  _"Do you know anyone that's looking to adopt four kids?"_

"As a matter of fact I do. You." The Hylian King stopped walking and stared at his friend with wide eyes. Impa turned around and continued talking. "What? It's true, no? You and Prince Sidon have been looking for ways to have children. So far nothing has come up. Now you have an opportunity! Don't tell me you're going to let this go to waste." Link sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

_"I don't know..."_

"You five have only known each other for a day, and even with that you all seem close. The children trust you completely and are very comfortable around. So much that they hang onto you every second they can. Most children in Hyrule would be too scared to even touch the King." Link but his lower lip, still looking unsure. "Talk it over with Prince Sidon. Look for suitable guardians. Spend more time with them. Just don't completely dismiss the idea." Impa turned back around and began walking away. "And please don't go tackling anymore seemingly indestructible Lynels. I understand that you sometimes can't control your impulsive behavior especially in times of crisis but your children would be devastated if they learned that their  _father_  skidded off a cliff with a Lynel because he made a poor decision."

-

A little over a month had passed since Link had first brought Areli, Cilia, Derun, and Nanju to the castle. The search for proper parents willing to adopt all four of them had been unsuccessful so far, however, the kids didn't mind. All the while they were there they had become closer to both Link and Sidon. The six of them spent as much time together as possible, Link and Sidon taking them out at least once a week to nearby villages or stables so the children could go out and explore. Link even taught the four of them how to properly wield a sword (much to Sidon's dismay). The Hylian Champion even told the four of them of his "extensive past" letting them know that whenever the darkness reared its ugly head, Link would be re-born and battle it. He joked saying that his legendary horse that he had just resurrected from the grave held the part of the spirit of the Hylian Hero, which is why Epona would always answer Link's call no matter how far away.

Impa hadn't mentioned anything about adoption to Link yet, she knew that if she brought the subject up Link would immediately shoot it down. He would claim he was unfit to be a parent and the children deserved so much better than a reckless Hylian fighting machine that could barely manage to think before he acts. The Sheikah Elder observed the Hylian King as he played with his four children, seeing how bright his face got when the four kids ran to hug him after a long day of doing nothing but attending to his royal responsibilities, seeing all the stress of the day melt away from his body as the four of them told them about their day exploring the castle or hanging out with one of the many friends they had made in the castle.

As even more time passed, Link and Sidon had grown more and more attached to the four children they had taken in. The search for parents was still unsuccessful but at this point, none of them cared anymore. Areli, Cilia, Derun, and Nanju already felt like they were part of a family, the best family in Hyrule, and they didn't want this happy feeling of completion to end because some one had volunteered to take in the poor orphan children. When they were alone during the day, the four of them got together in their room and came up with several extravagant plans to hint that they wanted to be an official family. Every single plan was shot down for one reason or another. Eventually they gave up and decided to live in this happy moment for as long as they could.

Meanwhile, the conversation he had with Impa oh so long ago never left Link's head.  _Father, father, father._  The word kept bouncing around in Link's mind. As expected he believed the children deserved someone better. Sure Link was the King of all the land but that didn't mean he was an  _adult_  who was  _responsible_  and  _knew what he was doing_. So, he tended to ignore all thoughts of sealing the deal and officially claiming those kids as his own. That mindset changed, however, one calm night. They were all sitting around on the floor in Link and Sidon's room, casually chatting about that day's events when Derun stood up and took his very steps. He stumbled a bit, but the Goron baby did walk, and he walked right into Link's arms. It was in that moment that the Hylian King knew he didn't want to miss a second more of these kid's lives. He didn't want to miss precious moments like these where something as big as Derun's first steps or small as a fun family dinner. 

That same night, when the kids had fallen fast asleep in Link and Sidon's shared bed and the couple in question were out on their balcony, staring out into the night sky, Link took in a deep breath and tapped Sidon's shoulder. With his husband's attention all on him, Link began signing and explaining that he wished to adopt the children. When all was said and done, Sidon had tears in his eyes and a gigantic smile on his face. He stated that he had wanted to mention adoption for a while but he waited since he knew that Link had to sort his own feelings out first. Their night ended with happy tears and hugs all around before they went back into their room, kissed the heads of their four sleeping kids, and went to sleep themselves.

- 

News had spread across Hyrule fairly quickly that the King of Hyrule and his husband the Prince of the Zora were adopting four kids. Gifts were being sent from all corners of Hyrule as a congratulations, ranging from clothes to toys to weapons. Everywhere Areli, Cilia, Derun, and Nanju went there were people bowing and referring to them as the future princes and princesses of Hyrule, this gave the four of them a special sort of feeling. Smiles hardy ever left their faces nowadays. For them, it was hard to believe that almost two months ago they were nearly freezing to death and scavenging for food out in the wild with their two hylian guardians. The idea of being part of a family, especially the royal family, was just a fantasy. But now they were wearing luxurious clothes and being visited by the royals from other areas in Hyrule. Things were truly working out for the better for them.

Preparations were being made for a coronation. Impa said such a grand event wasn't necessary but Link insisted, he wanted his children to really feel like they were in a family and an official ceremony would certainly help. Of course this coronation wouldn't be rushed like Link's, this one was being well thought out and would include all of the different cultures of the Rito, Zora, Goron, and Gerudo. It was going to be perfect and Link made sure of it.

But that wasn't the entire reason why the coronation was being held off. 

After the announcement had been made and the entire kingdom was aware of two new princes and princesses something continued to bug him. It didn't leave him in the month that followed the announcement, it didn't leave him when he went to bed, it didn't leave him when he went down into the very depths of the castle to pray to his ancestors, it didn't leave him when he was spending time with his family. Every second of every day it gnawed at the back of his mind. 

_"You didn't forget about me, did you?"_

Maybe it was just his paranoia. Maybe it was just the fact that he still wasn't over her death. Maybe it was the conversation he overheard the other day between two members of the Royal Guard who were expressing their concerns over having four new heirs but not the  _true_  heir. Not the princess with the blood of the Goddess Hylia. Not Zelda.

He visited her grave more and more often, wondering what he should do about his current situation. On especially quiet days, days where he had somehow managed to take care of nearly all his royal tasks, he sat back and talked with the five graves in front of him. He knew it was foolish but he believed that perhaps the spirits of the champions or even Zelda were still hanging around. Maybe they were listening to him, comforting him with their invisible presence.

"What's troubling you, my pearl?" Sidon asked one night as he and Link were staring out at the beautiful night sky. "I've noticed...you seem off. Something's bugging you so you might as well say it." Link sighed and helplessly waved his hands around. "Is your work piling up? I know I haven't been much help with running the Kingdom but my own duties have been more difficult to manage since I decided to spend more time here than the Zora Domain..."

_"No, no."_  Link signed before resting a hand on Sidon's shoulder (or rather trying to then  giving up and settling for his upper arm).  _"It isn't that. The workload is fine. And you do more than enough, I'm grateful and amazed that you can juggle spending so much time with the kids, the coronation plans, and your own work."_

"Then what?" Sidon pulled Link into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Confide in me, please. I don't like to see you so distressed." For a moment, Link just held onto Sidon. It had been a while since he last shared a moment alone with his husband. He liked this, being in the safety and comfort of Sidon's arms. 

Sidon was the one who broke the hug. He slowly dropped his arms from around Link and instead moved a single hand to cup his husband's cheek. The moment Link saw that the Zora Prince was slowly leaning down, he wasted no time in standing up on the tips of his toes and closing the gap between them. Their kiss was slow, sweet, and reassuring. Sidon felt Link's mouth turn up into a smile. When they broke apart, Link sighed happily.

"Zelda." That was the only word that left Link's mouth. Sidon blinked.

"What of her?" 

"She's...not here." Link looked up at the moon. "The Princess with the blood of the Goddess Hylia isn't here. The true savior of Hyrule- the one who seals away the evil that threatens our kingdom- isn't here. And people are talking." His hands tightened into fists and his expression turned a bit sour. "She isn't here, the "true heir" to the throne isn't here. People are complaining and saying that...that I shouldn't be worried about our kids...I should be worried about figuring out a way to get the royal lineage back on track... And I don't know what to do." Link let out a shaky breath, his fists tightening even more. "I don't know what to do! I...I don't want...Areli or Celia or Derun or Nanju to be upset because part of the kingdom doesn't care for them at the moment. I don't want them to feel any sort of pain because everyone wants to find a  _true_  heir before they even put the four of them in their minds."

Sidon was silent. To be quite honest he had encountered those rumors as well. They upset him- those were his kids after all!- but even he didn't know how to handle this. He wanted to confront those who were talking and complaining. He wanted to tell them off, to yell, to kick them out of his home, but he knew they were right. Hyrule needed a Zelda to survive. Hyrule could not survive without a hylian princess that carried that ancient sealing power in her blood. 

"Why don't you talk to the Goddesses?" A tiny voice came from across the room. It had come from Cilia who was standing near the door with her three siblings. 

"Yeah," Areli agreed, stretching his wings, "you've told us before that when you were trying to figure out your life duty after saving all of Hyrule's butts you talked to the Goddesses. Why not do that now?" 

"It would be the smart thing to do." Nanju chimed in as she walked into the room, Derun walking besides her and holding her hand tightly. "The Goddesses know what to do. They'll help you. They'll know what to do about...the next ruler of Hyrule." Link's heart nearly broke.

"We're sorry you had to see us in such a sorry state, children." Sidon whispered, going over to the bed and sitting down. The kids followed his lead and half-jumped half-climbed into the bed. "We're simply having a hard time right now. It's rather difficult for your father to make decisions based on his feelings, all of our feelings, and all of the kingdom's feelings." Link grunted and ran a hand through his hair.

"We know what the kingdom thinks of us." The words were spat out of Areli's mouth with such disgust. 

"But we don't care." Nanju smiled softly and placed a hand on her brother's feathery shoulder. "It may sting a bit when we hear people say...you two shouldn't show us as much kindness as you but-"

"-But that doesn't matter, and it never will!" Cilia chirped, sliding off the bed and running over to Link who was still pouting on the balcony. She hugged him tightly, continuing, "We don't care what the kingdom thinks of us. We don't care if one of us or none of us ends up inheriting the position as leader. All we care about is each other and you guys- our family!" 

For a moment, all Link could do was stare. Stare down at this silver scaled zora child that was hugging his waist tightly and with all the love in the world. A second later and more arms wrapped around him. Nanju and Areli had gone over to hug their father as well. Derun, who didn't quite understand what was going on but wanted to be a part of this too, grabbed onto the front of Link's shirt and attempted to pull him closer.

Tears streamed down the Hylian's cheeks, a small smile appearing on his face. He knelt down and wrapped all four of his children in his arms. Without missing a single beat, Sidon jumped off his spot from the bed and scooped his husband and his four kids into his own arms, holding them in a tight and loving embrace.

-

Normally Link would say no if someone asked to accompany him to the Spring of Courage. Yes, the spring was technically free to the public, but if he was going there to attempt to talk to the Goddess then he wanted to be totally alone. This time, however, when Sidon, Areli, Cilia, Derun, and Nanju all put on their best puppy faces and politely asked Link to join him on his journey to the Spring of Courage, he couldn't resist. And again, normally Link would be content with going places with little to no protection. He was a skilled swordsman! He could defend himself and defeat any foe with a stick and a rock if he had to! But this time he tasked approximately fifteen members of the Royal Guard and five members of the Sheikah's most elite warriors to protect him and his family. 

The trip was three days long. In the time spent in the Royal Carriage (which had been modified to be able to fit Sidon's great height) the four princes and princess to be demanded that Link share his stories of the Divine Beasts and Champions. When all his stories of his great adventure against the Calamity had been exhausted, the children demanded that Link tell them tales of his travels throughout Hyrule and the time spent preparing to be King. When that story was exhausted, Link went on to tell them the legends of the past heroes of Hyrule. Cilia's favorite hero was the Hero of the Wind, Areli's was the Hero of the Sky, and Nanju's was the Hero of Time ("My favorite hero is the one sitting next to me." Sidon said matter-of-factly with a sly smile. Link scoffed and rolled his eyes, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. The Zora Prince hadn't lost his charm yet.).

When they reached a point where the Royal Carriage's wheels could no longer ride smoothly over the dirt, they all clambered out and resumed their journey on foot. Eventually the forest became thicker and the path was narrower. Roots were sticking out everywhere. The kids got tired of walking after only an hour of walking. Areli had perched himself on top of Sidon's head (Sidon claimed his scales were as thick as iron and he couldn't even feel his son's talons on his tail), Derun was snuggling into Sidon's arms. Link carried Cilia on his shoulders. He offered to carry Nanju in his arms the way he did when they were first making their way to Hyrule Castle, Nanju politely declined.

Finally,  _finally_ , they reached the Spring. The Royal Guards and Sheikah put themselves into position as the group entered the Spring. Link explained that they should all stay back while he does what he needs to do, then when he was finished they could explore the area and pray to their heart's content. The five of them obediently stood back as Link walked into the water (Thank Hylia he was smart enough to wear his normal travelers clothes as opposed to his royal garb).

The Hylian Champion took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. Usually at this time he would press the Master Sword to his forehead and begin praying, but now he wasn't quite sure what to do. He thought for a second and pulled out the sword Sidon had gifted him. Pressing that against his forehead, he began his prayers.

_"O Golden Goddess Farore, Goddess of Courage. I come before you in need of guidance._ _"_ Silence. _"I come...asking about the next Hylian Princess and future savior of Hyrule."_

_"Hylian Champion, Hylian King, Current carrier of the Triforce. I am listening."_  The wind picked up.

_"Goddess Farore."_  Link let out a shaky breath.  _"My people and I worry about Hyrule's future. Hyrule needs a Zelda, a princess who carries the blood of the goddess Hylia. Without her our kingdom will have no defense against the evil that is Ganon if and when he rises again."_

_"I hear your worries as well as the ones of my people. Fret not."_  The wind was blowing loudly. Link could hear Sidon tell the kids to back away from the water. "My sisters and I shall aid you. My sisters and I will give you the final color which you will use to create the painting that is your life." The air began feeling different. Link couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Open your eyes." Link did as told.

The Goddess statue in front of him was glowing brightly. Golden light brighter than the sun emerged from the ancient monument. The light slowly dipped itself into the water and laily made its way to Link. The water underneath him glowed brightly.

_"Hylian Hero. Look up."_  Link blinked and turned around to look up at the sky. Farosh was flying down towards Link at a speed that matched the Scourge of Vah Naboris. Before he knew it, Link was being grabbed by the electric dragon's gigantic claws and pushed down into the water that seemed a lot deeper than before. The last thing Link had heard was the collective screams of his children and Sidon yelling out his name.

- 

His eyes opened and he was standing up right in a place unfamiliar to him. Link began walking slowly, taking in every single detail. This village seemed small, and it seemed to be floating in the air. The buildings were beautiful and whimsical. This place felt cheery and gave Link a warm feeling, as if he were home. 

_Skyloft._

The name rang in his head. At the moment he couldn't remember the significance but later on, when he returned to his own realm and to his castle, he would realize it was the home of the very first reincarnation of the Hero. The home of the Hero of the Sky.

Yes, this was Skyloft. Link smiled, letting all those happy feelings flood his mind. This was home. 

He continued to walk, much more relaxed now. Although the buildings were all empty and there seemed to be no signs of life, Link continued walking in and out of them. He explored every nook and cranny, smiling nostalgically. When he reached the Knight's Academy his legs instinctively walked to his own room. Link had to resist the urge to flop down on the neatly made bed and take a nice nap.

The names on the doors were all written in a language far older than the current Hylian alphabet. The letters, however, jumbled around in his mind and he was able to decipher them. The first room he came across was Groose. Link opened up the door and looked at the inside. The feeling of uneasiness returned, he felt as if he was trespassing in enemy territory. His eyes happened upon a punching bag with his face on it. Link smiled.

_"That's right. Groose was my friend."_  Link closed the door. 

Zelda's room was next. He opened the door and looked inside. He felt as if he had just been hugged warmly. The room was nice and inviting. Detailed drawings of several plants and people were hung up on the wall. Several dolls of winged creatures adorned her bed.

His little tour through the Knight's Academy ended. When he walked out he caught sight of the gigantic Goddess Statue. Link quickly made his way to the statue. 

The base had a part where it was open, it looked like stairs lead down farther. 

_"That's where I met Fi."_  The spirit in the Master Sword. Link smiled. He began walking towards the opening when something called out to him. 

A Loftwing landed besides him and chirped happily. It's bright red feathers shone brilliantly in the sunlight. The Loftwing butted its head against Link's hand, Link instinctively began stroking its feathers. 

_The Surface._

The crimson Loftwing had lifted its head and was staring Link straight in the eyes. Link nodded and wasted no time in climbing onto the majestic creature and taking flight. 

He didn't know, or more he didn't  _remember_ , how he knew how to fly such a creature but this felt as natural to Link as holding a sword felt. The Loftwing chirped out happily every once in a while as it soared through the sky and towards a particular beam of light. When they were close enough, they dove down a small hole in the mass of clouds where the light was. 

Link had closed his eyes for a moment, when he reopened them his breath was taken away. The Surface, Hyrule before it was Hyrule, was beautiful. The mass of trees, water, lava, sand,  _everything_. It was absolutely amazing.

The Loftwing landed at an ancient temple. The same Goddess Statue he had seen up at Skyloft was here as well. Link jumped off and gave the crimson Loftwing a nice pat before he made his way to the two gigantic doors. 

_"This is the Sealed Temple."_  Link thought before he pushed the doors open.

Three people were waiting for him. The three of them turned around to face Link.

"Welcome, hero." The first that spoke was him. No, not him. The eyes were bigger, skin was lighter. His hair seemed fluffier and an even dirtier blond. Link recognized him as the Hero of the Sky.

"We have been patiently awaiting your arrival." The second to speak was a girl. She looked  like Zelda but entirely different. The face was rounder, she had bangs that nearly covered her eyes. She seemed smaller too. 

"And now we can discuss the answer to your pleas." The last one to speak was, admittedly, frightening. He was gigantic, five times taller than the other two. His skin was a deep coal color with scales to match. His hair seemed to be flames, his small eyes were the same color as his hair and full of anger and malice. One disgusting scar adorned his face.

"We have taken form of three familiar figures." The Hero of the Sky spoke. "As we cannot fully reveal our true forms to mortals." The bowed. "I am Farore. Goddess of Courage. That is Nayru," Zelda bowed, "Goddess of Wisdom. And Din," the beast-man bowed as well, "Goddess of Power." 

"We've taken these forms as a thank you." Nayru stepped forward. "To show our gratitude towards you for continuing to stop the ancient evil that torments our land. For living with the fate we have...cursed you with."

"As you can tell," Din stepped forward, " Farore is you. The first time your spirit returned to life after defending the Goddess Hylia and laying down your life for the land you loved. Nayru is the Goddess Hylia reborn. Her name was Zelda. Together, you and she founded Hyrule after defeating the evil that would torment you forever. I have taken the form of that evil: Demise. Demise demanded power, power to surpass the Goddesses. Demise demanded destruction. Demise demanded chaos. Upon full defeating him, his anger was so powerful that it took a form of its own and lived on to carry the destruction that Demise wanted. Ganon, or Ganondorf, is that anger. That pure hatred and evil."

"Since we were the ones that forced this life on you, we have tried our best to make sure you are rewarded properly." Farore smiled, which Link found weird since it was his own face smiling at him. "We regret not doing so for the past hero, the Hero of Time. He didn't deserve such...confusing and traumatic fates. However, here stands the hero reborn. And this time we have promised ourselves to not fail you when time is playing with your life."

"We understand that our plan for you was confusing." Nayru spoke. "And we thank you for following our guidance all  the way through. And we hope you finally find peace and happiness with the family we have gifted you with. Those four children are all very special, Chosen Hero."

"Now, for the matter we are here to discuss. The Princess with the blood of the Goddess Hylia." Link nodded. "Currently you hold the Triforce. Courage has dwelled within you since birth. Wisdom dwelled in Zelda since birth. Power has been Ganon's all along. When Zelda was trapped inside of the Calamity and using her holy powers to keep Ganon at bay, she absorbed his piece so she held Power as well as Wisdom. When Zelda perished and you became the ruler of Hyrule we gifted those two shards to you."

Link's right hand began glowing brightly. The Triforce had shown itself on his hand. 

"Today we shall take the Triforce away from you and you will be able to wish for one thing." Nayru held up a single finger as she explained. "When the wish has been asked then the Triforce will reset. In time, Power will return to Ganon. Courage stays with you. Wisdom will go to the next Princess. Understood?" Link nodded. "Wonderful. Then, without further ado."

The Three Golden Goddesses in front of him clasped their hands together and closed their eyes, bowing their heads. They each began glowing their respective colors. A golden light emerged from Link's chest. Suddenly he felt the energy draining from him. His knees buckled and he dropped down to the floor. He struggled to stand back up but the most he could do was kneel. An indescribable pain suddenly burst in his chest as three orbs began slowly floating out. The orbs (one red, one blue, one green), came together and morphed into triangles. When the triangles touched they grew bigger and bigger before changing color. 

The Triforce floated magnificently in front of Link. His eyes widened. 

"Place your hand upon the Triforce and make your wish." All three of the voices were coming together into one. Link scrambled to his feet and hesitantly placed a hand on the legendary Triforce, closing his eyes.

- 

It was night now and Link was gazing out at Hyrule from his balcony, like he usually did. Sidon had told him that after the ancient dragon had taken him under the still weirdly deep spring water, no one found him until an hour later. Link had mysteriously appeared lying flat on his back at the foot of the Goddess Statue. When questioned about where he had gone to and how he got to the statue, Link shrugged and claimed it was all the Goddess's doing.

Now here he was, back in the comfort of his castle. A journey back that would've taken them days took minutes because Sidon was stubborn and demanded that Link use the Sheikah Slate to get them all home faster. Link reluctantly did as told and practically jumped for joy when he realized he could take larger numbers of people to and from shrines without worrying about anyone getting "lost". 

Sidon was helping the kids get ready for bed. Link could hear them all chattering about what they wanted to do tomorrow though he wasn't paying attention. His mind was still on the conversation he had with the Goddesses and how lucky he was to have visited the ancient city of Skyloft as well as get to see Hyrule in its "early years". 

"What're you thinkin' about?" Areli asked, walking to Link, his sisters, brother, and Sidon close behind. 

"Nothing important." Link shrugged, ruffling the feathers on top of his son's head. Suddenly, Link tensed up. His ears twitched, his face showing complete focus. His family was asking him what was wrong but he didn't answer. In the blink of an eye, Link jumped onto the wall and climbed above their room. Sidon scolded his husband and demanded that he got down immediately. Link didn't listen. In the distance he could see something faint. It looked like a star at first but it was getting closer. 

"There!" Link pointed up to the sky at the golden light flying through. The others stared in shock and awe. It crash landed in the middle of Hyrule field and before anyone could say anything, Link was already jumping off the wall and onto the roof of the Castle. He ran along the Castle's roof and jumped down again, this time he began peacefully gliding towards Castle Town. He put the paraglider away and landed on the ground. He wasted no time in whistling a call for the horse of legend as he ran towards the gates of Castle Town. Since he was in a hurry and the gates were closed, Link took the extreme route and climbed over the walls the enclosed Castle Town. When he landed on the other side of the wall his horse was already running towards him at full speed, her white mane glowing in the moon light.

On his horse he went at top speed towards the brightly glowing thing that had crashed onto Hyrule Field. When they reached the mysterious light, Link jumped off Epona and slid towards it.

It looked like a giant sphere made purely of gold light. Link hesitated in getting anywhere closer to it. 

In the distance he could hear several shouts. He heard Sidon call out for him as well as his kids and some unidentifiable ones. He figured  those were probably soldiers. Link waited for them to catch up.

Sidon had ran all the way from the castle to the center of Hyrule Field with all four of his ready-for-bed children in his arms. Adrenaline was a hell of a thing! He skidded to a stop besides his husband, ready to scold him for running off without a  word, but before he could say a word he stopped. His eyes landed on the thing in front of them.

"What is it?" Nanju asked, looking at her dads. Neither spoke. 

Link let out a shaky breath and took a small step forward. He knelt down placed his hand on odd sphere. His right hand began glowing, the Triforce appeared but now only the piece that symbolized courage glowed brightly. The light from the sphere intensified before fading away completely. 

Inside, was an infant with beautiful brown hair and vibrant green eyes with a smile as warm as the Sun's. Her left hand had the Triforce on it but only the piece that symbolized Wisdom was glowing. She smiled as Link picked her up gently. Tears began prickling his eyes.

Here she was. The heiress to the throne. The Princess and savior of Hyrule. The Princess with the blood of the Goddess Hylia. 

Here was Zelda.


End file.
